Talk:Ethane
|
|
The article has the sentence "It is the simplest hydrocarbon containing more than one carbon atom."
Not quite sure what "simplest" means here... acetylene would seem simpler in having fewer hydrogens.
Opinions?
Depends on how you define it. Ethane has only sp3 hybrid orbitals, therefore only equivalent σ bonds, whereas acetylene has σ and π bonds, giving a more complicated electronic configuration. I would keep it the way it is. Dr. Strangelove 09:01, 17 Jul 2004 (UTC)
I agree, it depends on how you define it. And, also, it depends on why you define it. My guess is that the author was trying to say something to non-scientists, and to readers in that group, who don't know chemical bond types, numbers seem crucial to simplicity. But I'm not a mindreader (or a chemist), and don't have a stake in the outcome. Fg2 10:22, 17 Jul 2004 (UTC)