Question

How many sigma and pi bonds are in allylcyanide?

Answer 1

I got:

• `\mathbf(9)` `sigma` bonds
• `\mathbf(3)` `pi` bonds

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"Allyl" means there's a `"C"="C"` double bond that starts two atoms away from the pertinent functional group (rather than one atom away, which is "vinyl").

So, allyl cyanide is:

Or, drawn out in full:

Each single bond contains only one sigma (`sigma`) bond and nothing else, and thus, if you consider the skeletal structure without any pi (`pi`) bonds, you would get:

• `\mathbf(3)` `"C"-"C"` `sigma` bonds
• `\mathbf(1)` `"C"-"N"` `sigma` bond
• `2+1+2 = \mathbf(5)` `"C"-"H"` `sigma` bonds

Now counting the `pi` bonds, we have (in addition to the `sigma` bonds we already counted) one `pi` bond for each double bond and two `pi` bonds for each triple bond.

Therefore, we have:

• `\mathbf(1)` `"C"-"C"` `pi` bond
• `\mathbf(2)` `"C"-"N"` `pi` bonds

So, we have a total of:

• `\mathbf(9)` `sigma` bonds
• `\mathbf(3)` `pi` bonds