Number of acyclic structural isomers of the compound having the molecular formula `C_4H_10O` is

Options

A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7

Answer

To determine the number of acyclic structural isomers for the compound with the molecular formula \( C_4H_{10}O \), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Molecular Formula**:
The given molecular formula is \( C_4H_{10}O \). This indicates that the compound contains 4 carbon atoms, 10 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom.

2. **Determine Possible Functional Groups**:
The presence of oxygen suggests that the compound could be an alcohol or an ether. We will explore both types of compounds.

3. **Construct Alcohol Isomers**:
- **1-Butanol**: The simplest structure where the OH group is on the first carbon.
\[ CH_3-CH_2-CH_2-CH_2OH \]
- **2-Butanol**: The OH group is on the second carbon.
\[ CH_3-CH(OH)-CH_2-CH_3 \]
- **Tert-Butanol**: The OH group is on a carbon that is connected to three other carbons.
\[ (CH_3)_3COH \]

4. **Construct Ether Isomers**:
- **Methoxypropane**: One carbon with an oxygen bonded to a three-carbon chain.
\[ CH_3-O-CH_2-CH_2-CH_3 \]
- **Ethoxyethane**: Two carbon chains with an oxygen in between.
\[ CH_3-CH_2-O-CH_2-CH_3 \]

5. **Count the Isomers**:
After constructing the possible structures, we summarize the isomers:
- **Alcohols**:
1. 1-Butanol
2. 2-Butanol
3. Tert-Butanol
- **Ethers**:
4. Methoxypropane
5. Ethoxyethane

6. **Total Count**:
We have identified a total of 5 distinct acyclic structural isomers for \( C_4H_{10}O \).

### Conclusion:
The total number of acyclic structural isomers of the compound with the molecular formula \( C_4H_{10}O \) is **5**.