Maximum hydrogen atom bonds per a single carbon atom I was solving a chemical formula which includes a carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen compound. And it turned out to be something like this:

$$\ce{C_nH_{4n}O}$$

when $n$ is a natural number. So that, at least ostensibly, can be one of these:

$$\ce{CH4O, C2H8O, C3H12O, C4H16O, ...}$$

But a solution attached to it said


  The only compound which has $\ce{C_nH_{4n}O}$ as the empirical formula is $\ce{CH4O}$


so the molecular formula is confirmed as above. So simply my question is this: why is that the only one which makes sense in this situation?
I would look at it like recursive problem. Starting with the simplest situation:

Carbon has 4 electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds (so 4 simple bonds for example). Hydrogen has one electron - 1 bond.

If you add one more carbon to the situation, you have to bond it somewhere - you need to use the first carbon. Now with this new carbon you added 3 more possible places to add 3 more elements (like hydrogens) but you canceled one hydrogen place on the first carbon. So every time you add another carbon, you can go up only for 2 hydrogen. It is actually called homologous addition or something like that. (Sorry for my english as well)

I ignored the oxygen whole time, cos as far as he is 2 bonded, he never adds anything he either substracts two hydrogen places, or you can instert it between a carbon and a hydrogen.