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Which of the following is most stable alkane?
Most Upvoted Answer
Which of the following is most stable alkane?
Option (2) is the most stable among these all, because it is symmetrical along the horizontal plane.
For symmetry, the compound should have even number of carbon atom and they should be balanced along the line of symmetry.
Community Answer
Which of the following is most stable alkane?
Introduction:
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons consisting of only single bonds between carbon atoms. Stability of alkane molecules is influenced by factors such as the size of the molecule, branching, and strain caused by bond angles. The most stable alkane is the one with the lowest energy and highest thermodynamic stability.

Explanation:
To determine the most stable alkane, we need to consider the different factors that affect stability.

1. Size of the molecule:
As the number of carbon atoms increases, the size of the molecule also increases. Larger molecules have more electrons and a larger electron cloud, resulting in increased repulsion between electrons. This electron repulsion destabilizes the molecule. Therefore, smaller alkanes are generally more stable than larger ones.

2. Branching:
The presence of branching in an alkane molecule can increase its stability. Branching reduces the contact area between adjacent carbon atoms, thereby reducing steric hindrance. Steric hindrance is the repulsion between bulky groups or atoms, which can destabilize the molecule. Therefore, alkane molecules with more branching tend to be more stable.

3. Strain caused by bond angles:
The bond angles in an alkane molecule also affect its stability. The ideal bond angle for a tetrahedral carbon atom is 109.5 degrees. Any deviation from this angle leads to strain in the molecule. In cycloalkanes, strain is caused by bond angles deviating from the ideal angle due to ring closure. Cycloalkanes with smaller rings tend to be less stable due to increased strain.

Conclusion:
Considering the factors that influence stability, the most stable alkane would be a small, branched alkane with minimal strain. Therefore, the alkane with the highest stability would be the one with the most branching and smallest ring size. However, without specific options provided in the question, it is not possible to determine the most stable alkane among the given choices. It would require additional information about the number of carbon atoms and the presence of branching or ring structures in each option.
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Which of the following is most stable alkane?
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