H H H H
| | | |
H - C - C - C - C - H
| | | |
H | H H
|
H - C - H
|
H



Any diff if I write the above as (CH3)2CHCH2CH3 or CH(CH3)2CH2CH3?????

 

I'll take a shot...its been over a decade but I am pretty sure it does make a difference because if you were to translate back you are dealing with different bonds, which would change the compound (like ethane vs methane etc.) I think. Consult your chem book. I have my notes in the attic.

 

Organic + ASCII art own me.

 

ch(ch3)2ch2ch3 would be the right way to write it. im not sure how professors would grade the other way, either as a different compound or not a compound at all.

 

I'd help you but I can't understand that molecule. You have H coming off of H??

 

No. Look at it and realize that this site compresses multiple spaces.

It looks like this:



Methylbutane I believe.

 

CH3CH(CH3)CH2CH3

You are supposed to write the carbons in sequence. Start by finding the longest chain of carbons (in this case, 4). Begin at the end closest to the first functional group. That extra CH3 (the methyl group) is off the SECOND carbon which means you must first write CH3 to account for the first one. Then its CH(CH3), and so on. You'll get it wrong if you don't write it in order.

2-methyl butane

 

It's impossible to have (CH3)2 because carbon can only form 4 bonds. If you have 3 hydrogens on the first, and three on the second, and the are connected, you cannot form a 5th bond off the second carbon. As a hint, CH3's are usually at the very end of the molecules (unless you have some double bonds).

The second one is wrong as well because you have 3 hydrogens coming off the first carbon, not one. Also, the methyl group is coming off the SECOND carbon.

 

Isn't the "2-" superfluous?

 

Not necessarily. The 2- indicates which carbon in the butane chain the methyl group is attached to. If it were off of either the first or last carbon in the chain, it would be superfluous to put 1-methyl butane, but in this case, its not.