Final answer:
The student asked about the structure of butane and which hydrogen atoms are attached to its second carbon. Butane is a straight-chain alkane with two hydrogen atoms attached to its second carbon, maintaining the four bonds for each carbon atom as per organic chemistry convention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the structure of butane, which is an organic compound. Butane, or C4H10, is a straight-chain alkane with four carbon atoms linked together. The two hydrogen atoms attached to the second carbon in butane are part of the chain, providing each carbon atom with a total of four bonds.
This maintains the four bonds that every carbon atom forms, adhering to the octet rule in carbon chemistry. The condensed structural formula of butane helps to visualize how these hydrogen atoms are arranged in relation to the carbon atoms. For clarity, in butane, the second carbon atom (starting from either end, since it is symmetrical) is bonded to the first and third carbon atoms and to two hydrogen atoms.