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Ch.12 Alcohols, Thiols, Ethers, Aldehydes, and Ketones
Timberlake - Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 13th Edition
Timberlake13th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134421353Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 12, Problem 48d

Draw the condensed structural or line-angle formula for each of the following:
d. 2,4-dibromophenol

Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the base structure: The name '2,4-dibromophenol' indicates that the compound is based on a benzene ring (a six-membered aromatic ring) with specific substituents attached.
Locate the hydroxyl group (-OH): The 'phenol' part of the name tells us that there is a hydroxyl group directly attached to the benzene ring. This group is typically placed at position 1 by convention.
Add the bromine atoms: The '2,4-dibromo' prefix indicates that there are two bromine atoms attached to the benzene ring. One bromine atom is at position 2 (adjacent to the hydroxyl group), and the other is at position 4 (opposite the hydroxyl group).
Draw the structure: Start with a benzene ring. Attach the hydroxyl group (-OH) to one carbon (position 1), a bromine atom (Br) to the adjacent carbon (position 2), and another bromine atom (Br) to the carbon directly opposite the hydroxyl group (position 4).
Choose the representation: For the condensed structural formula, write the substituents explicitly (e.g., C6H3Br2OH). For the line-angle formula, represent the benzene ring as a hexagon with alternating double bonds, and show the substituents (-OH and Br) at their respective positions.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Condensed Structural Formula

A condensed structural formula is a way of representing a chemical compound that shows the arrangement of atoms and the connectivity between them without depicting all the bonds explicitly. It typically groups atoms together to indicate how they are bonded, making it easier to visualize the structure of the molecule in a compact form.
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Line-Angle Formula

A line-angle formula, also known as a skeletal formula, is a simplified representation of organic molecules where vertices represent carbon atoms and lines represent bonds. This method omits hydrogen atoms attached to carbons, making it easier to visualize complex structures and focus on functional groups and connectivity.
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Substituents in Aromatic Compounds

In aromatic compounds, substituents are atoms or groups of atoms that replace hydrogen atoms on the benzene ring. The position of these substituents is crucial for naming and understanding the compound's properties. In the case of 2,4-dibromophenol, the '2' and '4' indicate the positions of the bromine atoms relative to the hydroxyl group on the phenol ring.
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Naming Alkanes with Substituents Example 1