What is the name of the alkane with the molecular formula C2H6?

The molecular formula C2H6 corresponds to ethane, which is the second simplest alkane after methane. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, meaning they consist entirely of single bonds between carbon atoms. In the case of ethane, there are two carbon atoms (hence C2) and six hydrogen atoms (H6), fitting perfectly within the general formula for alkanes, CnH2n+2, where n represents the number of carbon atoms.

Ethane is characterized by its two carbon chain, which can be written as CH3-CH3, with each carbon atom being bonded to enough hydrogen atoms to satisfy its tetravalency. Understanding this allows us to distinguish ethane from other alkanes like methane (which has one carbon atom, C1H4), propane (with three carbon atoms, C3H8), and butane (which has four carbon atoms, C4H10). Each of these has distinct molecular structures and formulas, thus reinforcing that the correct identification for C2H6 is indeed ethane.