How is this structure for ethanol incorrect?

[Mr Rayon]

H H

| |

H-C-C-O-H

| |

H H

 

How is this diagram incorrect? I think it has something to do with the O-H, but can anyone confirm this? If so, why?

[Greippi]

You need to think about the number of covalent bonds each atom likes to make (due to the amount of electrons in the outer shell).

 

For a start, hydrogen only makes one bond (only one electron in its outer shell, to fill the shell it needs 2 electrons - so it makes one bond with one other atom), so that one on the left is right out.

 

A carbon atom makes 4 bonds (4 electrons in its outer shell, to fill the shell it needs 4 more).

 

An oxygen makes 2 bonds.

 

Think about that and jiggle it around a bit.

[Mr Rayon]

You need to think about the number of covalent bonds each atom likes to make (due to the amount of electrons in the outer shell).

 

For a start, hydrogen only makes one bond (only one electron in its outer shell, to fill the shell it needs 2 electrons - so it makes one bond with one other atom), so that one on the left is right out.

 

A carbon atom makes 4 bonds (4 electrons in its outer shell, to fill the shell it needs 4 more).

 

An oxygen makes 2 bonds.

 

Think about that and jiggle it around a bit.

 

 

nah, i'm still not seeing it. could it be because of the uneven distribution of electrons in the -OH? Oxygen is more electronegative and hence the electrons shared between the OH would spend most of their time around the O, possibly affecting the overall shape of the molecule and thus how we position the OH?

 

 

So, just to confirm, below is the more correct way of drawing ethanol as opposed to the one above?

 

H H H

| | /

H-C-C-O

| |

H H

 

(soz, don't know how to supply u guys with a better picture)

Edited May 11, 2010 by Voltman

[Greippi]

Your hydrogen atom on the left has 3 bonds coming from it. This is not correct.

The carbon on the left has 5 bonds coming from it, this is not correct either.

 

The O-H part is the only correct part of your first molecule.

[Mr Rayon]

Your hydrogen atom on the left has 3 bonds coming from it. This is not correct.

The carbon on the left has 5 bonds coming from it, this is not correct either.

 

The O-H part is the only correct part of your first molecule.

 

yeah, sorry i'm not sure why but once I posted it the picture changed and moved towards the left I can't make the hydrogens stick.

[Greippi]

I SEE! You should have said that in the first place haha.

Shift those hydrogens coming out vertical up one place so they're on the carbons and your first structure is correct for the flat structure. Like so:

 

 

Do you need to draw the "3D" structure showing what planes everything is in? If so, then you need to show the directions those hydrogens on the left are going in, and you could refine that even more to make the bond to the H on the O-H bent a bit because of the two pairs of lone electrons on the O.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Greippi

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

If you're typing the structure, type it in [noparse]

[/noparse] tags so the spaces are preserved:

  H H    H
   | |    /
H-C-C-O
   | |
   H H

[insane_alien]

i like how it still appears wrong.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Proportional fonts make ASCII art difficult.

[UC]

Proportional fonts make ASCII art difficult.

 

Have you considered that maybe you're just good at failing?