Page 1174 - Chemistry--atom first

1164 Chapter 21 | Organic Chemistry
Example 21.1
Drawing Skeletal Structures
Draw the skeletal structures for these two molecules:
Solution
Each carbon atom is converted into the end of a line or the place where lines intersect. All hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms are left out of the structure (although we still need to recognize they are there):
Check Your Learning
Draw the skeletal structures for these two molecules:
Answer:
Example 21.2
Interpreting Skeletal Structures
Identify the chemical formula of the molecule represented here:
Solution
There are eight places where lines intersect or end, meaning that there are eight carbon atoms in the molecule. Since we know that carbon atoms tend to make four bonds, each carbon atom will have the number of hydrogen atoms that are required for four bonds. This compound contains 16 hydrogen atoms for
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