Question

The number of sigma bonds in vanillin is?

Answer 1

The structure of vanillin consists of several functional groups. Let's break down the compound and count the σ bonds in each part:

1. Carbon-Carbon (C-C) bonds: Vanillin has a total of 8 carbon atoms, which are all connected to each other through single σ bonds. Therefore, there are 8 σ bonds in the carbon skeleton.
2. Carbon-Oxygen (C-O) bonds: Vanillin contains three C-O bonds—one between the aldehyde functional group (-CHO) and a carbon atom, and two between the aromatic ring and oxygen atoms in the hydroxyl groups (-OH). Therefore, there are 3 σ bonds in C-O.
3. Carbon-Hydrogen (C-H) bonds: Vanillin has 8 carbon atoms, and each carbon atom is bonded to hydrogen atoms. Since each C-H bond is a single σ bond, there are a total of 8 σ bonds in C-H.
   Adding up the σ bonds in each category:
   8 σ bonds (C-C) + 3 σ bonds (C-O) + 8 σ bonds (C-H) = 19 σ bonds
   Therefore, vanillin contains 19 sigma (σ) bonds.