Draw a structural formula of either 2-chloro-3-methylpentane or 2-chloro-3-methylhexane, clearly showing - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 1 - 2009 - Paper 1

To draw the structural formula for either compound, we can start with the basic structure of pentane and hexane, then make the necessary substitutions to indicate the chlorine and methyl groups.

2-chloro-3-methylpentane

1. Base Structure: Pentane has a chain of five carbon atoms.
2. Chlorine Substitution: Attach a chlorine (Cl) atom to the second carbon.
3. Methyl Group: Attach a methyl (CH₃) group to the third carbon.

The structure can be represented as follows:

   H   H   H   H   H
   |   |   |   |   |
H--C--C--C--C--C--H
   |   |   |   |   
   Cl  H   CH₃  H  

2-chloro-3-methylhexane

1. Base Structure: Hexane has a chain of six carbon atoms.
2. Chlorine Substitution: Attach a chlorine (Cl) atom to the second carbon.
3. Methyl Group: Attach a methyl (CH₃) group to the third carbon.

The structure can be represented as follows:

   H   H   H   H   H   H
   |   |   |   |   |   |
H--C--C--C--C--C--C--H
   |   |   |   |   |   
   Cl  H   CH₃  H  H