A secondary alcohol results from the attachment of a hydroxy group to which carbon atom?
C
| <---GIVEN STRUCTURE
C1-C2-C3-C4
A) C1 B) C2 C)C3 D)C4
Answer is C! I have to explain why, but the teacher never taught us anything about organic chem. So please explain!
To determine which carbon atom the hydroxy group is attached to in the given structure, we need to understand the arrangement of atoms within the molecule and the nomenclature of secondary alcohols.
In organic chemistry, the carbon atoms in a molecule are typically labeled numerically. In the given structure:
C
|
C1-C2-C3-C4
We can see that there is a hydroxy group (OH) attached to the molecule. Secondary alcohols are defined as alcohols where the hydroxy group is attached to a carbon atom that is bonded to two other carbon atoms.
Looking at the molecule, we can see that carbon atom C3 meets this criterion. It is bonded to C2 and C4, fulfilling the condition for a secondary alcohol. Therefore, the hydroxy group is attached to the C3 carbon atom in the given structure.
So, the correct answer is C) C3.