[zeldajae]

Does it matter on which order a line-bond for a molecule is created?

What I mean to say is that does it matter on which of the following images is the correct way to draw a structure or are they both acceptable in the world of Organic Chemistry? The simplest structure used for this question is Butanone.


or


Thank you in Advance.

[BluePill]

Although they are mirror images, they don't have chiral carbons. So, it doesn't matter. Just be aware of chirality.

[zeldajae]

Thank you.

Just a note, I am learning O-chem on my own, and I am just doing the introduction right now. I will be learning about Chiral Centers in the next section. Thank you!

[orgopete]

The compound is a three dimensional object. It will not change whether you observe it from the left, right, front, or back. It is like a car. Some publishers or organizations may have policies as to how structures might be represented in order to have a visual consistency. That policy is different than the appearance of object itself.

Changing the appearance is a useful device so you will remain aware of the three dimensional aspects of the structure. Flipping a structure horizontally will get some students to write products from the right hand side of a structure whether it makes chemical sense or not.