Q16E - Chemistry (OpenStax)

Question

Write structures for the three isomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon xylene,\({C_6}{H_4}{\left( {C{H_3}} \right)_2}\)

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The following structures are the structures of the three xylene isomers.

1,2–dimethylbenzene

o-xylene)

1,2–dimethylbenzene

m-xylene)

1,4–dimethylbenzene

p-xylene)

Step 1:Determine the structure for the xylene

Aromatic hydrocarbons arethose hydrocarbons that have one or more benzene rings in it.

Isomers are molecules with the same chemical formula but distinct atom configurations in space.

Step 2:Structure for the ortho-, meta-, and para-xylene

Xylene \({{\rm{C}}_6}{{\rm{H}}_4}{\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}} \right)_2}\) is an aromatic hydrocarbon with a benzene ring, in which two hydrogen atoms are replaced by two \( - {\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}\) groups. The position of the\( - {\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}\) substituents on the benzene ring distinguishes three isomers of xylene, which are designated ortho- (O-), meta- (m-), and para- (p-). The following structures are the structures of the three xylene isomers.

  1 ,2 -dimethylbenzene  \((o - \)xylene) 

 

1,2 -dimethylbenzene  \((m - \)xylene)

1,4 -dimethylbenzene \((p - \)xylene)