Which of the following compounds would likely yield the highest energy release when combusted in a bomb calorimeter?

The compound with the largest number of C–H bonds per gram will give the greatest heat of combustion, because each C–H bond releases a lot of energy when oxidized. A saturated hydrocarbon that is long‑chain and has a high hydrogen‑to‑carbon ratio—such as octane or a similar alkane—will release more energy per gram than a smaller or more oxygen‑rich molecule. The reasoning is that the combustion reaction produces CO₂ and H₂O, and the more C–H bonds that are broken, the more heat is liberated. For example, burning 1 g of octane (C₈H₁₈) releases about 44 kJ, whereas 1 g of a shorter hydrocarbon like propane releases less, showing the trend. Thus, the longest, most hydrogen‑rich hydrocarbon among the choices will give the highest energy release.