When drawing the compounds im stuck on whether my answer is correct. For example I am doing 2,3 dimethylbutane, does it matter what side of carbons 2 and 3 in which I attach the CH3. I attached my answer below and was wondering if this would be marked correct even though the answers have the CH3 attached on opposing sides.
Hi Charlotte.
Both versions are equally correct as the single bonds allow for free rotation so the attached H atoms or CH3 groups are half the time below and half the time above the carbon chain.
If you think about it, both version would have exactly the same name so that tells you they are equivalent forms of the same molecule.
If you have ever made a model of something like CH3CH2Cl with molymod you might have noticed that if you rotated the end carbon by 360degrees the green chlorine atom would sometimes appear to be at the top, sometimes at the bottom and sometimes pointing out horizontally yet the molecule nor its name is unchanged.
