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  4. How many of the following are not ambiguous? Pentane, Neopentane, sec-Butanol, sec-Pentanol

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Q. How many of the following are not ambiguous? Pentane, Neopentane, sec-Butanol, sec-Pentanol

Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques

Solution:

Three of the given four names have only one possible structure. The fourth one, sec-pentanol has three possible structures and hence it can not be ambiguous. Three structures possible for sec-pentancl are as follows:
$CH_3\overset{\underset{|}{O}H}{C}HCH_2CH_2CH_3$,
$CH_3\overset{\underset{|}{O}H}{C}HCH(CH_3)_2$ and
$CH_3CH_2\overset{\underset{|}{O}H}{C}HCH_2CH_3$