Q1-1-31E - Organic Chemistry (Mcmurry)

Question

Draw a three-dimensional representation of the oxygen-bearing carbon atom in ethanol, using the standard convention of solid, wedged, and dashed lines.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Representation of oxygen-bearing carbon atom

To draw the three-dimensional representation of the oxygen-bearing.  The carbon atom in ethanol first determines the geometry of that carbon atom by drawing its line bond structure which is represented as:

                                      Ethanol

Elucidation of the three-dimensional structure

The oxygen-bearing carbon atom of ethanol makes four single bonds, so it is hybridised and has a tetrahedral geometry. By drawing two of the carbon atom’s bonds with solid lines to represent bonds in the plane of the page, which is depicted as follows:

               Bonds in the plane of the page

By drawing one bond with dashed lines to represent a bond that goes back behind the plane of the page, defined as:

By drawing one bond with a heavy wedged line to represent a bond that comes out of the plane of the page.

Three-dimensional structure of ethanol

. This is the three-dimensional representation of the oxygen-bearing carbon of ethanol.

Three-dimensional representation of ethanol