Propane Chemical Formula Derivation

To find the chemical formula of propane, we use the general formula for alkanes, which is:

$ C_nH_{2n+2} $

The prefix "prop-" in propane indicates that the molecule contains 3 carbon atoms. Therefore, in this case, $n=3$.

Substituting $n=3$ into the alkane formula:

• Number of Carbon atoms = $n = 3$
• Number of Hydrogen atoms = $2n + 2 = 2(3) + 2 = 6 + 2 = 8$

Combining the carbon and hydrogen atoms gives the chemical formula for propane:

$ C_3H_8 $

This matches Option B.