What is the formula for the alkane with 5 carbon atoms?

The formula for an alkane is represented as CnH(2n+2), where "n" is the number of carbon atoms. In this specific case, since we are dealing with an alkane that has 5 carbon atoms (n=5), we can substitute that value into the formula.

Applying it, we have:

C5H(2(5)+2) = C5H(10+2) = C5H12.

This shows that the correct molecular formula for the alkane containing 5 carbon atoms is indeed C5H12. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they only contain single bonds and are fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms, which fits perfectly with the formula derived.

The other options represent other hydrocarbons or incorrect values. For example, C4H10 corresponds to butane, C5H10 represents a cycloalkane or an alkene, and C6H14 describes hexane, which has 6 carbon atoms rather than 5.