What is the value of n in ch3(ch2)nch3 if the name of the hydrocarbon is heptane?

n = 5

Explanation:

Heptane is an alkane due to the fact that the ending of its name is -ane. In order to name an alkane, we should know the total number of carbon atoms present in its skeleton. The following prefixes should be helpful:

Those are the most common alkanes we deal with. Notice that heptane is an alkane with a total of 7 carbon atoms in its chain. We already see the two carbons coming from the methyl groups in the structure leaving a total of 5 more carbons present in the chain.