How many atoms of each type of element is present in the chemical formula `(CH_3)_3C CH_2CO_2H` ?

Options

A. Carbon -4 , Hydrogen - 3 , Oxygen - 1
B. Carbon -4 , Hydrogen - 6 , Oxygen - 1
C. Carbon -6 , Hydrogen - 9 , Oxygen - 2
D. Carbon -6 , Hydrogen - 12 , Oxygen - 2

Answer

To determine how many atoms of each type of element are present in the chemical formula `(CH_3)_3C CH_2CO_2H`, we will break down the formula step by step.

### Step 1: Identify the groups in the formula
The formula `(CH_3)_3C CH_2CO_2H` can be broken down into distinct groups:
- `(CH_3)_3` indicates there are three methyl groups (CH₃).
- `C` indicates one additional carbon atom.
- `CH_2` indicates one methylene group (CH₂).
- `CO_2H` indicates a carboxylic acid group (CO₂H).

### Step 2: Count the carbon (C) atoms
1. From `(CH_3)_3`, we have 3 methyl groups, each containing 1 carbon atom:
- 3 carbons from `(CH_3)_3`.
2. There is 1 carbon atom from the standalone `C`.
3. There is 1 carbon atom from `CH_2`.
4. There is 1 carbon atom from `CO_2H`.

Adding these together:
- Total C = 3 (from CH₃) + 1 (from C) + 1 (from CH₂) + 1 (from CO₂H) = 6 carbon atoms.

### Step 3: Count the hydrogen (H) atoms
1. Each methyl group `(CH_3)` contributes 3 hydrogen atoms:
- 3 groups x 3 H = 9 H from `(CH_3)_3`.
2. The methylene group `CH_2` contributes 2 hydrogen atoms.
3. The carboxylic acid group `CO_2H` contributes 1 hydrogen atom.

Adding these together:
- Total H = 9 (from CH₃) + 2 (from CH₂) + 1 (from CO₂H) = 12 hydrogen atoms.

### Step 4: Count the oxygen (O) atoms
1. The carboxylic acid group `CO_2H` contains 2 oxygen atoms.

So:
- Total O = 2 oxygen atoms.

### Final Count
- Carbon (C): 6 atoms
- Hydrogen (H): 12 atoms
- Oxygen (O): 2 atoms

Thus, the final answer is:
- **C: 6, H: 12, O: 2**