Condensed Structural Formulas
Problems:
1) Is that they are 2 dimensional and the molecules they represent are 3 dimensional.
2) Drawback is that they take up much of space and many of time to write and they are terrible to type.
Condensed Structural Formula
This structural formula for this compound could be condensed too. From right to left, this formula shows a carbon atom with 3 hydrogen (H) atoms bonded to it, then another carbon (C) atom with 1 hydrogen (H) atom and 2 more carbon atoms too, each having 3 hydrogen (H) atoms bonded to them. You could see that sometimes these condensed structural formulas get a bit tricky as far as figuring out what is bonded to what. But you could do it if you remember that each carbon atom has 4 bonds. Another way of showing the condensed structural formula of this compound is to show a carbon (C) atom bonded to 1 hydrogen (H) atom and to 3 other groups too, each of which is a carbon (C) atom bonded to 3 hydrogen (H) atoms. Example:
Complete Structural Formula:
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H - C - C - C - H
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H H-C-H H
|
H
CH3CHCH3CH3 or H(CH3)3
One way of getting around problems that are above is the use of condensed structural formulas. In the condensed structural formula, each carbon (C) atom is written separately and following each carbon (C) atom are listed the other atoms that are bonded to that carbon (C) atom. In this case the 1st carbon (C) atom has 3 hydrogen (H) atoms bonded to it, the 2nd carbon (C) atom has 2 hydrogen (H) atoms bonded to it, the 3rd carbon (C) atom has 2 hydrogen (H) atoms, and the 4rth carbon (C) atom has 3 hydrogen (H) atoms. Another even more condensed way of writing a condensed structural formula is this. It points out that there are 2 CH2 groups in the middle of the molecule by having (CH2)2 in the middle of the formula. Example:
Complete Structural Formula:
H H H H
| | | |
H-C-C-C-C-H
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H H H H
Condensed Structural sFormula:
CH3CH2CH2CH3 or CH3(CH2)2CH3
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