I also have to write all the structural formulas of the isomers of the compund hexane C6H12. i was doing research and i was finding that there could be 9 or 11. then i came across a site that said it is not planar. so does that mean that it is a ring structure and there is only 1 like i am thinking? the C are in the circle pattern with 2H attached to teach of them?
Cyclohexane is more or less planar but there is a "chair" form and a "boat" form. Then you have the line structures with double bonds. There are a number of hexenes.
In the original question, C6H12 is the formula of cyclohexane, not hexane. DrBob interpreted it appropriately as cyclohexane. The "chair" and "boat" forms of cyclohexane are conformational isomers that exist in any sample of cyclohexane, They are not distinct compounds.
Depending on the intent of the original question, C6H12 could also represent hexene which has many isomers. See:
http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~sglover/Alkenes_tutorial/sld002.htm
To determine the number of isomers of a compound, we need to consider the different possible arrangements of its atoms. In the case of hexane (C6H12), the molecular formula tells us there are six carbon atoms and 12 hydrogen atoms.
For hexane, there are two major types of isomers: chain isomers and ring isomers.
1. Chain Isomers:
In chain isomerism, the carbon atoms are arranged in different ways in a straight chain. Hexane has five chain isomers with different structural arrangements:
A. n-Hexane (normal hexane): This is the most common form with a straight chain of six carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.
B. 2-Methylpentane: In this isomer, one of the carbon atoms of the chain is substituted with a methyl (CH3) group.
C. 3-Methylpentane: Similarly, in this isomer, a methyl group is attached to a different carbon atom of the chain.
D. 2,2-Dimethylbutane: Here, two methyl groups are substituted onto different carbon atoms of the chain.
E. 2,3-Dimethylbutane: In this isomer, the two methyl groups are attached to adjacent carbon atoms.
2. Ring Isomer:
In ring isomerism, the carbon atoms form a cyclic structure. In the case of hexane, it can form a cyclohexane ring.
In cyclohexane, all the carbon atoms are connected in a ring, and each carbon atom is bonded with two hydrogen atoms. The formula for cyclohexane is the same as hexane (C6H12).
So in total, there are six isomers of hexane (C6H12): n-Hexane, 2-Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane, 2,2-Dimethylbutane, 2,3-Dimethylbutane, and cyclohexane.
Regarding your mention of hexane being non-planar, this is not accurate. Hexane is a planar molecule, meaning all the carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms lie in the same plane. It does not have a ring structure with carbon atoms arranged in a circle pattern but rather a straight or cyclic chain structure.