An alkene X has molecular formula C11H24. X on free radical chlorinati...
Molecular formula of alkene X:
The molecular formula of alkene X is C11H24. This means that alkene X contains 11 carbon atoms and 24 hydrogen atoms.
Positional isomers:
When alkene X undergoes free radical chlorination, three monochloroalkane derivatives are formed, which are named P, Q, and R. These derivatives are positional isomers, meaning that the chlorine atom can be attached to different carbon atoms in the parent chain.
Resolvable enantiomers:
Out of the three monochloroalkanes, only Q is resolvable into enantiomers. Enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This suggests that Q must contain a chiral carbon atom, which allows for the formation of enantiomers.
E2 elimination reaction:
P does not undergo E2 elimination reaction with ethanolic KOH solution. E2 elimination is a reaction in which a hydrogen atom and a leaving group are eliminated from adjacent carbon atoms, resulting in the formation of a double bond. The fact that P does not undergo this reaction suggests that it does not have a beta-hydrogen adjacent to the chlorine atom. This means that the chlorine atom in P must be attached to a tertiary carbon, which does not have a beta-hydrogen.
Alkene formed with ethanolic KOH:
Both Q and R give the same alkene when reacted with ethanolic KOH solution. This alkene is capable of showing geometrical isomerism. Geometrical isomerism occurs when there is restricted rotation around a double bond, leading to different spatial arrangements of substituents. This suggests that the alkene formed has a double bond with two different substituents on each carbon.
Number of carbon atoms in the parent chain:
Based on the information provided, we can deduce that P, Q, and R are monochloroalkanes with different positional isomers. P does not undergo E2 elimination reaction and does not have a beta-hydrogen, while Q and R both give the same alkene capable of showing geometrical isomerism. This means that Q and R must have a beta-hydrogen, indicating that the chlorine atom in both compounds is attached to a secondary carbon. Since the molecular formula of X is C11H24, and the three monochloroalkanes have one chlorine atom each, it can be concluded that 11 - 1 = 10 carbon atoms are present in the parent chain of X. Therefore, the correct answer is 7 carbon atoms.