Question

What is the name of this alkane?

I got 5-ethyl-2,4-dimethyloctane but the answer came up as this

Answer 1

You are missing a hydrogen in the line formula......

Explanation:

And also you have numbered the ethyl group at `C_5`, rather than from the other end at `C_4` (number so that the highest priority group gets the SMALLEST carbon number on the main chain, and here the highest priority group is the ethyl substituent NOT the methyl). It is clearly an octane derivative, the longest carbon chain is 8 carbons long, with alkyl substituents at `C_4`, `C_5`, and `C_7`.

So my attempt to muddy the waters is......

`"4-ethyl-5,7-dimethyloctane"`......

Is the molecule saturated? Would you expect it to be solid, liquid, or gas under standard conditions?

Answer 2

Here's what I get.

Explanation:

Are you trying to name this compound?

Step 1. Find the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms

The longest continuous chain contains seven carbon atoms, so the main chain is heptane.

Step 2. Number from the end closest to a substituent

There are substituents at carbons 2, 3, and 4.

Step 3. Name the substituents

They are methyl, ethyl, and ethyl.

Step 4. Name the compound

List the substituents in alphabetical order (`bb"E"`thyl comes before `bb"M"`ethyl).

Use numbers to locate the substituents, and use hyphens to join letters and numbers (no spaces!).

The name is 3,4-diethyl-2-methylheptane.