<p>Hey!</p>
<p>In a Barron’s practice test, it says that ethyne/acetlyene is a linear molecule.</p>
<p>I thought that linear molecule meant two atoms bonded around a central atom @ 180 degrees. Like, CO2. But, ethyne obviously has more than three atoms.</p>
<p>Basically, what is a linear compound? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>ethyne (C2H2) is a linear molecule. Since there is a triple bond between the Cs, each C is only bonded to one H. So, to obtain the least electron repulsion, they form a linear structure, with the two Cs in the middle and the two Hs at both ends.
a molecule does not have to have only two atoms to be linear. It depends on the nature of their bonds.</p>
<p>linear molecule is the molecule that has a shape of a line. two atom can form a linear shape, so do 3,4,5,6,whatever, as long as they are like a chain(for any organic compound, i think they only consider the C structure, not H,N.and any others)even if it is sth like this C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-…C</p>
<p>ethyne is like H-C-C-H, so the shape is like C-C</p>