`C_(4)H_(8)O_(2)` represents :-

Options

A. An acid only
B. An ester only
C. An ketone only
D. An acid and an ester also

Answer

To determine what the molecular formula \( C_4H_8O_2 \) represents, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Analyze the Molecular Formula
The given molecular formula is \( C_4H_8O_2 \). This indicates that the compound contains:
- 4 Carbon (C) atoms
- 8 Hydrogen (H) atoms
- 2 Oxygen (O) atoms

### Step 2: Identify Possible Functional Groups
With 2 oxygen atoms present, we can consider the following functional groups:
1. **Carboxylic Acid**: This functional group has the general formula \( RCOOH \) and contains a carbonyl (C=O) and a hydroxyl (–OH) group.
2. **Ester**: This functional group has the general formula \( RCOOR' \) and contains a carbonyl (C=O) and an alkoxy (–O–R) group.

### Step 3: Determine Possible Structures
1. **Carboxylic Acid Example**:
- A possible structure could be butanoic acid (butyric acid), which has the structure \( CH_3CH_2CH_2COOH \).
- This structure has 4 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms.

2. **Ester Example**:
- A possible structure could be methyl propanoate, which has the structure \( CH_3CH_2COOCH_3 \).
- This structure also has 4 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms.

### Step 4: Conclusion
Since both a carboxylic acid and an ester can be formed with the molecular formula \( C_4H_8O_2 \), we conclude that the compound can represent either of these two types of compounds.

### Final Answer
The compound \( C_4H_8O_2 \) can represent:
- A carboxylic acid (e.g., butanoic acid)
- An ester (e.g., methyl propanoate)