[astuart]

Hello,

I'm doing a correspondence course on basic chemistry for a course on organic chemistry I start next term.  I have a pretty good grasp on it, but I'm not sure whether the layout of the branched chain alkanes/hydrocarbons require a specific orientation/direction in terms of the direction the substitutes branch off.

I've attached an image of a couple of example compounds with the two normal compounds as pictured in my textbook, in addition to a picture of the same compound, but with a different orientation.

Is there a specific layout required, or as long as the compound is named correctly (2,4-methylheptane as an example), it doesn't matter what direction it's set out in.

Thanks.

[discodermolide]

Hello,

I'm doing a correspondence course on basic chemistry for a course on organic chemistry I start next term.  I have a pretty good grasp on it, but I'm not sure whether the layout of the branched chain alkanes/hydrocarbons require a specific orientation/direction in terms of the direction the substitutes branch off.

I've attached an image of a couple of example compounds with the two normal compounds as pictured in my textbook, in addition to a picture of the same compound, but with a different orientation.

Is there a specific layout required, or as long as the compound is named correctly (2,4-methylheptane as an example), it doesn't matter what direction it's set out in.

Thanks.

The orientations (marked incorrect) and the textbook are the same. No specific layout is required, as long as the compound is correctly named and drawn.

[astuart]

Hello,

I'm doing a correspondence course on basic chemistry for a course on organic chemistry I start next term.  I have a pretty good grasp on it, but I'm not sure whether the layout of the branched chain alkanes/hydrocarbons require a specific orientation/direction in terms of the direction the substitutes branch off.

I've attached an image of a couple of example compounds with the two normal compounds as pictured in my textbook, in addition to a picture of the same compound, but with a different orientation.

Is there a specific layout required, or as long as the compound is named correctly (2,4-methylheptane as an example), it doesn't matter what direction it's set out in.

Thanks.

The orientations (marked incorrect) and the textbook are the same. No specific layout is required, as long as the compound is correctly named and drawn.

Great, I thought that might have been the case.

Thanks for the quick reply!

[james_a]

The more you go through chemistry the more you'll see that molecules are 3-D objects just like anything else - you'll see the same molecule  drawn from lots of different perspectives in your course. Good luck!