Butane contains a longer carbon chain compared to methane, ethane, and propane, as it has four carbon atoms in its structure instead of one, two, or three. Additionally, butane has a greater number of hydrogen atoms attached to its carbon atoms to satisfy their valency.
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Butane differs from methane, ethane, and propane in its molecular structure. While methane has a single carbon bonded to four hydrogen atoms, ethane has two carbons, propane has three, and butane has four carbons. Butane, with its four carbon atoms, forms a straight-chain structure or can exhibit a branched structure. In contrast, methane, ethane, and propane consist of linear chains. The increasing carbon chain length in butane results in a higher molecular weight and more complex structure compared to the shorter hydrocarbons methane, ethane, and propane.