How many ethers have molecular formula C 5 H 12 O? Draw their structures and give each a systematic name. What are their common names?

Hello everyone. So they have a following problem. Draw all possible structures of es with a mo molecular formula of C 4h 10 0 provide their systematic names and common names. So to determine whether there's a ring or a double bond present in the structure, we need to calculate what's known as the index of hydrogen deficiency, which has the following formula. We have two multiplied by the number of carbons within a number two, followed by an addition of the number of nitrogens subtracted by the number of hydrogens subtracted by X which represents the number of halogens. We divide that number by two. So using our molecular formula, we have two multiplied by the number of carbons which is four, we add two, there are no nitrogens, but we can subtract the hydrogens which is 10 and there are no halogens. So when we take that number and divide it by two, we get zero over two which is zero. So there are no rings or double bonds in our structures. Now, for our first structure, we can essentially draw three carbons in a chain, followed by an oxygen and in another carbon. And this takes care of the hydrogen's carbons and the oxygen. Now for the systematic name. So the systematic name when it comes to es we take the longer carbon chain, make that the parent name and we take the smaller chain and make it an alcoy substituent. So between this methyl group to the right and this purple group to the left, the methyl group is smaller. So we will have one metox and then we have our propol group, which will be propane. Now, we can have a second structure where instead of drawing three carbons in a chain, we can just draw two, followed by an oxygen and a subsequent two carbons. No, and we will list the common names after we have fulfilled the systematic names as we did before, we will look at the two groups to the left and the right of the oxygen since they are both equal and they are both ethyl groups. This will be named a Foxy E A. And then we have our third group where as we did before, we can draw two carbons and an oxygen. But instead of two additional carbons to the right, we can draw a methyl group on carbon two from left to right, and then a methyl group to the right of the oxygen. For the systematic name, we look for the smallest group which will be our metox. And then we have our propane group which is to the left of the oxygen. Now we have to consider the placement of the meth oxy group. And we have to make note that it is on the secondary carb, it's on a second carbon because if we number our parent chain 123 on carbon two, we have a metox group. So this will be two metox propane. Now, going back to the first structure for the common name, this is a bit simpler. We simply will look at the two alky groups that are bound to the oxygen. So for example, for structure one, we have a methyl and APY. So what we would do is we will name them alphabetically. So this will be methyl followed by propol. And then lastly, we just add either at the end for a second structure. Since we have two ethel, we say die. Well, we say die ethel followed by either. And then last but not least we have structure three. We look at the groups, the two alco groups on the left, we have an isopropyl group and on the right, we have a methyl group. I comes with four M. So we have isopropyl methyl probably by either. And with that, we have solved the problem overall, I hope this helped. And until next time.

Table of contents

Skip topic navigation

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols

Naming Ethers

Organic Chemistry

12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols

Naming Ethers

Previous problemNext problem

4:06 minutes

Problem 78

Textbook Question

How many ethers have molecular formula C₅H₁₂O? Draw their structures and give each a systematic name. What are their common names?

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the molecular formula C5H12O. This formula corresponds to ethers, which are organic compounds containing an oxygen atom bonded to two alkyl or aryl groups (R-O-R'). The task is to identify all possible structural isomers of ethers with this formula.

Step 2: Begin by considering the possible carbon chain lengths for the two alkyl groups (R and R') that add up to five carbons. For example, you can have combinations like C1 and C4, C2 and C3, or C2 and C2 (symmetric).

Step 3: For each combination of alkyl groups, draw the possible structures of ethers. Ensure that the total number of carbons in the molecule is five, and the oxygen atom is placed between two carbon groups. For example, one structure could be CH3-O-CH2CH2CH2CH3.

Step 4: Assign systematic (IUPAC) names to each ether structure. The naming convention for ethers involves identifying the two alkyl groups attached to the oxygen atom and listing them alphabetically, followed by the word 'ether.' For example, CH3-O-CH2CH2CH2CH3 would be named '1-methoxybutane.'

Step 5: Determine the common names for each ether. Common names are often derived from the names of the alkyl groups attached to the oxygen atom, followed by the word 'ether.' For example, CH3-O-CH2CH2CH2CH3 would be called 'methyl butyl ether.' Repeat this process for all isomers.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above

Video duration:

Play a video:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

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

Ethers

Ethers are a class of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula R-O-R', where R and R' represent hydrocarbon chains. Ethers are known for their relatively low reactivity and are commonly used as solvents in organic chemistry. Understanding the structure and naming conventions of ethers is essential for identifying the compounds with the given molecular formula.

Molecular Formula

A molecular formula provides the number and type of atoms in a molecule, represented by the symbols of the elements and subscripts indicating the quantity of each atom. For the formula C5H12O, it indicates that the molecule contains five carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. This information is crucial for determining the possible structural isomers and functional groups present in the compound.

Systematic Naming (IUPAC Nomenclature)

Systematic naming, or IUPAC nomenclature, is a standardized method for naming chemical compounds based on their structure and functional groups. For ethers, the naming convention typically involves identifying the two alkyl groups attached to the oxygen and using the suffix 'ether.' This systematic approach ensures that each compound has a unique and descriptive name, facilitating clear communication in the scientific community.

Watch next

Master How to name ethers using the common naming system. with a bite sized video explanation from Johnny

Start learning