Friday, February 5, 2016

CYCLOBUTANE & BUTANE

Today I made Butane C4H10 and Cyclobutane C4H8. They are nearly exactly the same except that Cyclobutane forms a ring and has only 8 Hydrogen atoms. This is because there is an extra bond between two of the carbon atoms, so there is less room for the hydrogen to bond to the carbon. Here are some photos and facts about the models I built.

 1. Cyclobutane is a cycloalkane.
 2. Melting point -132°F
 3. Boiling point 54.5°F
 4. Cyclobutane is usually a colorless gas but can easily be turned into a liquid at temperatures under 54.5°F.
 5. Cyclobutane is not too common a molecule, and most people who don't know very much about chemistry don't know what it is.





1. Butane is the forth in the alkane chain starting with methane.
2. Boiling point 30.2°F
3. Melting point -220°F
4. Butane is used as a fuel, especially in lighters.
5. Like the other alkanes, Butane is flammable and colorless as a gas.
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 8, 2016 at 2:16 PM

    This is a great one. I especially like the cyclobutane. Especially from the cyclobutane but also from all of the models you have posted so far, one can really get an idea of the importance of C in organic chemistry. It ability to combine, both with itself and with other elements, and its ability to form both long chains and well as rings (like the cyclobutane), and the ability of carbon compounds to be both stable and reactive, makes it clear why Carbon is the basis of uniquely complicated compounds and all material bodies (at least on this planet).

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  2. UnknownFebruary 9, 2016 at 1:42 PM

    I don't know if you will find it interesting,but if you are into science fiction you might. Quite a few science fiction writers, and even a few real scientists have speculated about the possibility of Silicon being a basic element of life on other planets. Silicon was chosen because it has four electrons for binding like Carbon does,which would allow for similar complicated compounds. IN real life it probably wouldn't work though, Silicon does bond with itself like carbon, but those bonds are very weak, so there are not "cyclo-silicates" (I made up that word) or chains of silica longer than 3 atoms. There is a silica based analog of ethane, silane SiH4, but it is so unstable that it spontaneous burns at room temperature. And while some silica compounds, like silane are too reactive, others, like SiO2 are too stable. Especially compared with the Carbon version of CO2. (SiO2 is quartz, and it is stable, and very nonreactive, so it is not very useful for a living thing. If either of your parents are fans of the old television show "Star Trek" ask them about the "Horta", A living rock based on silicon biology.

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