The molecular formula of ether is:

Options

A. `C_(n) H_(2 n + 1)` O
B. ` C_(n) H_(2n) O `
C. ` C_(n) H_(2n) O C_(n) H_(2n)`
D. `C_(n) H_(2n + 2) O `

Answer

To determine the molecular formula of ether, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure of Ether
Ethers are organic compounds that contain an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. The general structure can be represented as R-O-R', where R and R' are hydrocarbon chains.

### Step 2: Identify a Simple Ether
Let's take dimethyl ether as an example. The molecular structure of dimethyl ether can be represented as CH3-O-CH3.

### Step 3: Count the Atoms in Dimethyl Ether
In dimethyl ether:
- There are 2 carbon (C) atoms.
- There are 6 hydrogen (H) atoms.
- There is 1 oxygen (O) atom.

Thus, the molecular formula for dimethyl ether is C2H6O.

### Step 4: Derive the General Formula for Ethers
To derive a general formula for ethers, we can use the number of carbon atoms (n) in the formula:
- For n carbon atoms, the number of hydrogen atoms will be 2n + 2 (since each carbon can bond with 2 hydrogens and we have an additional 2 due to the ether structure).
- Therefore, the general formula for ethers can be expressed as CnH2n+2O.

### Step 5: Verify the General Formula
Let’s check if this general formula holds for dimethyl ether:
- For n = 2 (since dimethyl ether has 2 carbon atoms):
- Hydrogen: 2(2) + 2 = 6
- Therefore, C2H6O matches the molecular formula we derived earlier.

### Conclusion
The molecular formula of ether can be represented as CnH2n+2O, where n is the number of carbon atoms.

### Final Answer
The molecular formula of ether is CnH2n+2O.

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