Hydrocarbon Structural Diagrams

[JDK]

Hello,

I was quite curious about this one here...

If I were asked to draw a structural diagram, for example, of trimethylbutane, where would I put the three branches of methyl. When they don't specify the location of the branches what does one do? I'd normally be expecting something like 2,3,3-trimethylbutane, etc. The reason I'm asking is because there are many combinations one could produce to put out something in this format x,x,x-trimethylbutane. Therefore I became unsure if the question was correct or if I was mistaken... or overly paranoid...

Thanks!

 

[vixenell]

2,2,3 (or 2,3,3)-trimethyl butane seems to be the only option, because if either was at the first or last position, it would not be a butane; therefore, regardless of which end you start at, you will end up with 2,2,3- trimethyl butane.

Hope that helps.

 

[JDK]

Yes that does. Thank-you. I didn't know it was significant if the branches were on the first/last carbon atoms. That clears up my confusion.