Question
1. Does the combustion of C6 H12 (in which the carbon molecules form a 6-carbon ring) release more or less energy than the combustion of benzene? Assume all products remain the same and make a prediction without performing calculations.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine whether the combustion of C₆H₁₂ (cyclohexane) releases more or less energy than the combustion of benzene (C₆H₆), we need to consider the chemical structure and the nature of the bonds present in each molecule.
Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with a stable resonance structure, while cyclohexane is a saturated cyclic alkane. The key points to consider are:
1. **Energy Content**: Generally, aromatic compounds like benzene have higher bond enthalpies due to their resonance stabilization. Therefore, breaking the bonds in benzene during combustion requires more energy compared to breaking the single bonds in saturated hydrocarbons like cyclohexane.
2. **Combustion Reaction**: The general combustion reactions for both molecules release energy when carbon and hydrogen react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). However, the more stable the initial hydrocarbon, the more energy is typically required for complete combustion. In this context, benzene is more stable than cyclohexane due to its aromatic nature.
3. **Overall Outcome**: As a result of the stability of benzene and the additional energy associated with breaking its bonds, we can predict that the combustion of cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂) will release less energy compared to the combustion of benzene (C₆H₆).
In conclusion, it can be predicted without calculations that the combustion of C₆H₁₂ (cyclohexane) will release less energy than the combustion of benzene (C₆H₆).
Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with a stable resonance structure, while cyclohexane is a saturated cyclic alkane. The key points to consider are:
1. **Energy Content**: Generally, aromatic compounds like benzene have higher bond enthalpies due to their resonance stabilization. Therefore, breaking the bonds in benzene during combustion requires more energy compared to breaking the single bonds in saturated hydrocarbons like cyclohexane.
2. **Combustion Reaction**: The general combustion reactions for both molecules release energy when carbon and hydrogen react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). However, the more stable the initial hydrocarbon, the more energy is typically required for complete combustion. In this context, benzene is more stable than cyclohexane due to its aromatic nature.
3. **Overall Outcome**: As a result of the stability of benzene and the additional energy associated with breaking its bonds, we can predict that the combustion of cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂) will release less energy compared to the combustion of benzene (C₆H₆).
In conclusion, it can be predicted without calculations that the combustion of C₆H₁₂ (cyclohexane) will release less energy than the combustion of benzene (C₆H₆).