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Flavone is the unsubstituted flavonoid parent molecule with a phenyl group at position2 of an oxygen-containing ring system and a carbonyl group at position4. Its neutral molecular formula is ${\mathrm{C}}_{15}{\mathrm{H}}_{10}{\mathrm{O}}_2$; its two oxygen atoms are the ring oxygen and the carbonyl oxygen. ChEBI distinguishes this specific molecule from the wider class of substituted flavones.^[ref]

The structural distinction matters when reading names. 3-Hydroxyflavone has a hydroxy group at position3, whereas unsubstituted flavone does not. Adding that group by replacing a carbon-bound hydrogen adds one oxygen without changing the total hydrogen count:It changes both molecular identity and possible interactions; an alcohol suffix in a related name is not merely another spelling of the same substance.

An original degree of unsaturation calculation for the neutral parent givesOxygen does not enter this conventional closed-shell formula count. The eleven units are consistent with two benzene-like rings contributing four each, plus a third ring, one further carbon–carbon double bond and the carbonyl double bond. The same total occurs after hydroxyl substitution, showing why this count constrains but does not uniquely determine molecular structure.

For an original amount calculation using rounded molar mass $222.24\mathrm{g}\mathrm{mo}{\mathrm{l}}^{-1}$, a $0.100\mathrm{mmol}$ amount weighs $22.224\mathrm{mg}$. Substituted members require their own molecular formulas and molar masses.

NIST archives a mass spectrum and an ultraviolet/visible spectrum for the identified parent compound.^[ref] These are complementary observations: composition, fragmentation and optical response test different aspects of a proposed chemical identity. A shared carbon framework does not supply one universal spectrum or biological effect for every flavonoid.