Give the general formula for any dialkene; that is, a straight-chain hydrocarbon with two double bonds along the chain. (Type your answer using the format CnHn+1 for CnHn+1.)

To determine the general formula for any dialkene, we need to consider the number of carbon atoms in the straight-chain hydrocarbon.

1. Start by determining the number of carbon atoms in the chain. Let's call this number "n."

2. Each carbon atom in the chain is bonded to two hydrogen atoms. So, for n carbon atoms, we will have 2n hydrogen atoms bonded to them.

3. In addition to the hydrogen atoms, each double bond in the dialkene requires the loss of two hydrogen atoms. Since we have two double bonds in a dialkene, this means we need to subtract 4 hydrogen atoms from the total count.

Putting all of this together, the general formula for any dialkene can be expressed as CnH2n-4.