Which of the following is the correct structure for 3-fluoro-2-butanol?

• A. A four-carbon chain with a hydroxyl group ($\mathrm{OH}$) on carbon 3 and a fluorine atom ($F$) on carbon 2: $\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}-\mathrm{CH}\left(F\right)-\mathrm{CH}\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)-\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}$
• B. A four-carbon chain with both a hydroxyl group ($\mathrm{OH}$) and a fluorine atom ($F$) on carbon 2: $\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}-\mathrm{CH}(\mathrm{OH},F)-\mathrm{CH}{2}_{}-\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}$
• C. A four-carbon chain with a hydroxyl group ($\mathrm{OH}$) on carbon 2 and a fluorine atom ($F$) on carbon 3: $\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}-\mathrm{CH}\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)-\mathrm{CH}\left(F\right)-\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}$
• D. A four-carbon chain with a fluorine atom ($F$) on carbon 1 and a hydroxyl group ($\mathrm{OH}$) on carbon 2: $\mathrm{CH}\left(F\right)-\mathrm{CH}\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)-\mathrm{CH}{2}_{}-\mathrm{CH}{3}_{}$

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the parent chain length from the name '3-fluoro-2-butanol'. The root 'butan-' indicates a four-carbon chain.
2. Number the carbon chain to give the substituents the lowest possible numbers. The suffix '-ol' indicates the hydroxyl group (-OH) has priority in numbering.
3. Assign the hydroxyl group (-OH) to carbon 2, as indicated by '2-butanol', meaning the -OH is on carbon 2.
4. Place the fluorine substituent (F) on carbon 3, as indicated by '3-fluoro', meaning the fluorine is attached to carbon 3.
5. Draw the four-carbon chain with the -OH group on carbon 2 and the fluorine atom on carbon 3, ensuring the correct connectivity and substituent placement.