Chemical Forums

Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: haphazard on October 19, 2011, 11:14:00 AM

Title: Bonding question (types of bonds)
Post by: haphazard on October 19, 2011, 11:14:00 AM

(https://www.chemicalforums.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg51.imageshack.us%2Fimg51%2F4664%2Funledvsk.png&hash=8682a4d8eb527659ed1607a24fbc8661150544a8)

I am aware of single and double bonds, I am a programmer who was working under an internship and applying my programming skills to chemistry, some of my newer projects however include that I have knowledge of basic chemistry. long story short what kind of bonds are those on the top and above left? I read the rules and they go along the lines of "dont ask a question you cant easily solve yourself / awnsering homework questions. However I have searched "bond types" on various websites and they lead me to similear yet irrelevant information regarding the nature of those two bonds.
I hope this is an easy question that makes me look dumb in the end. Thanks very much for the help =D

Title: Re: Bonding question (types of bonds)
Post by: fledarmus on October 19, 2011, 11:26:07 AM

Lol - well, yes, this is an easy question. It won't make you look dumb though, because it's just a drawing convention. All of the bonds in this molecule (methanol, incidentally) are single bonds.

The problem is that molecules exist in three dimensions and the only way we can draw them is in two dimensions. Consequently, when you need to show three dimensional structure, you have to find a two dimensional way to do it. One convention is to use a wedge-shaped solid bond to show that the bond is coming out of the paper, and a wedge-shaped dashed bond to show that the bond is going back into the paper. Straight lines are used for bonds in the plane of the paper or for bonds whose 3-D structure isn't considered significant.

Carbon with four single bonds exists in a tetrahedral conformation, with the four bonds pointing out to the corners of the tetrahedron. So if you imagine the C atom at the center of a tetrahedron, with the O at one corner and the hydrogen at the bottom at one corner, you can see how the other two hydrogens would be arranged at the other two corners.

Title: Re: Bonding question (types of bonds)
Post by: haphazard on October 19, 2011, 12:03:18 PM

perfect explanation thankyou very much. just to double make sure, with the kind of algorithm I am programming once I start, changing the code will be a difficulty so I must get it right the first time. I made this picture using a 3d molecule viewer (forgive me for the weird view angle, but I wanted to show the molecules with the wedge shape). would the picture below be considered 'correct'?

(https://www.chemicalforums.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg850.imageshack.us%2Fimg850%2F7149%2Fjlkasdjlkakj.png&hash=c76085ea631e5e808782d060271321eec9ecb34d)

Title: Re: Bonding question (types of bonds)
Post by: fledarmus on October 19, 2011, 12:16:47 PM

Yes