Textbook Question
A fundamental difference between aldehydes and ketones is that one can be oxidized to carboxylic acids but the other cannot. Which is which? Give an example of a test to differentiate aldehydes from ketones.
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Ch.15 Aldehydes and Ketones
McMurry8th EditionFundamentals of GOBISBN: 9780134015187
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Table of contents
- Ch.1 Matter and Measurements27
- Ch.2 Atoms and the Periodic Table20
- Ch.3 Ionic Compounds8
- Ch.4 Molecular Compounds23
- Ch.5 Classification & Balancing of Chemical Reactions12
- Ch.6 Chemical Reactions: Mole and Mass Relationships28
- Ch.7 Chemical Reactions: Energy, Rate and Equilibrium64
- Ch.8 Gases, Liquids and Solids24
- Ch.9 Solutions52
- Ch.10 Acids and Bases25
- Ch.11 Nuclear Chemistry22
- Ch.12 Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Alkanes57
- Ch.13 Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds47
- Ch.14 Some Compounds with Oxygen, Sulfur, or a Halogen50
- Ch.15 Aldehydes and Ketones45
- Ch.16 Amines42
- Ch.17 Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives57
- Ch.18 Amino Acids and Proteins82
- Ch.19 Enzymes and Vitamins63
- Ch.20 Carbohydrates44
- Ch.21 The Generation of Biochemical Energy65
- Ch.22 Carbohydrate Metabolism45
- Ch.23 Lipids42
- Ch.24 Lipid Metabolism33
- Ch.25 Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism24
- Ch.26 Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis45
Chapter 15, Problem 26b
Draw a structure for a compound that meets each of the following descriptions:
b. An aldehyde with four carbons
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the functional group of an aldehyde. An aldehyde contains a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to at least one hydrogen atom. The general formula for an aldehyde is R-CHO, where R is a hydrocarbon group.
Step 2: Determine the total number of carbons in the compound. The problem specifies that the aldehyde must have four carbons in total.
Step 3: Assign one carbon to the carbonyl group of the aldehyde. This carbon is part of the -CHO group, which includes the carbonyl carbon and its attached hydrogen.
Step 4: Distribute the remaining three carbons to form the hydrocarbon chain (R group) attached to the carbonyl group. This will result in a straight-chain aldehyde with the structure CH3CH2CH2CHO.
Step 5: Verify the structure. Ensure that the compound has four carbons in total, the carbonyl group is at the end of the chain (as required for an aldehyde), and all carbons have the correct number of bonds (four for each carbon).
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Aldehyde Structure
An aldehyde is an organic compound characterized by the presence of a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of a carbon chain. The general formula for aldehydes is RCHO, where R represents a hydrocarbon chain. This structure is crucial for identifying and drawing aldehydes, as it dictates their chemical properties and reactivity.
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Naming Aldehydes Example 2
Carbon Chain Length
The length of the carbon chain in an organic compound determines its classification and properties. In this case, a four-carbon aldehyde means the compound must have a total of four carbon atoms in its longest continuous chain. This is essential for accurately constructing the molecular structure and understanding its potential isomers.
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1:43Intro to Electron Transport Chain Example 1
Structural Representation
Structural representation involves illustrating the arrangement of atoms within a molecule, including bonds and functional groups. For aldehydes, it is important to depict the carbonyl group at the terminal position of the carbon chain. This visual representation aids in understanding the compound's geometry and reactivity.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Glucose is the major sugar in mammalian blood. We often see it represented as either the "free aldehyde" or the cyclic hemiacetal forms shown here. Of the two forms of glucose, the cyclic hemiacetal is the preferred form found in blood. Can you suggest two reasons why?
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Textbook Question
Draw a structure for a compound that meets each of the following descriptions:
a. A 6-carbon cyclic ketone with a methyl group on the beta carbon
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Textbook Question
Draw a structure for a compound that meets each of the following descriptions:
c. An alpha-bromoaldehyde, C4H7BrO
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Textbook Question
Draw a structure for a compound that meets each of the following descriptions:
b. An 8-carbon ketone with six carbons as its longest chain
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Textbook Question
Draw a structure for a compound that meets each of the following descriptions:
d. A cyclic alpha-hydroxyketone, C5H8O2
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