Table of contents

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

18. Aromaticity

Naming Benzene Rings

Organic Chemistry

18. Aromaticity

Naming Benzene Rings

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3:24 minutes

Problem 45a

Textbook Question

Draw the structure for each of the following:
a. m-ethylphenol

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the naming convention. The prefix 'm-' stands for 'meta-', which indicates the relative position of substituents on a benzene ring. In a meta-substitution, the substituents are located at positions 1 and 3 on the benzene ring.

Step 2: Identify the substituents. The name 'm-ethylphenol' indicates two substituents: an ethyl group (-CH₂CH₃) and a hydroxyl group (-OH). The 'phenol' part of the name means the hydroxyl group is directly attached to the benzene ring.

Step 3: Assign the positions of the substituents. The hydroxyl group (-OH) is at position 1 (as it is the defining group of phenol), and the ethyl group (-CH₂CH₃) is at position 3 relative to the hydroxyl group.

Step 4: Draw the benzene ring. Place the hydroxyl group (-OH) at position 1 and the ethyl group (-CH₂CH₃) at position 3, ensuring the correct meta-relationship between the two substituents.

Step 5: Verify the structure. Double-check that the substituents are correctly placed in the meta-positions (1 and 3) and that the benzene ring is intact with alternating double bonds.

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Key Concepts

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

Aromatic Compounds

Aromatic compounds are a class of cyclic compounds that exhibit resonance stability due to the delocalization of π electrons across the ring structure. They typically follow Huckel's rule, which states that a compound must have (4n + 2) π electrons to be considered aromatic. Understanding the properties of aromaticity is crucial for drawing structures like m-ethylphenol, which contains a benzene ring.

Substituent Positioning

In organic chemistry, the positioning of substituents on a benzene ring is described using ortho (adjacent), meta (one carbon apart), and para (opposite) nomenclature. For m-ethylphenol, the 'm' indicates that the ethyl group and the hydroxyl group (from phenol) are positioned at the meta positions relative to each other. This understanding is essential for accurately representing the molecular structure.

Functional Groups

Functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. In m-ethylphenol, the hydroxyl (-OH) group is the functional group that defines its properties as a phenol. Recognizing functional groups is vital for predicting reactivity and understanding the compound's behavior in chemical reactions.

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