Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 57 (9189 total)
2 online now:
Newest Member: Michaeladams
Post Volume: Total: 918,946 Year: 6,203/9,624 Month: 51/240 Week: 66/34 Day: 3/6 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Chemical compound names
JustinC
Member (Idle past 5034 days)
Posts: 624
From: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Joined: 07-21-2003


Message 3 of 9 (190066)
03-04-2005 2:05 PM


I've seen it written both ways, but it is usually H20. Most of the time I've seen it written as OH2 are when the connectivity of the bonds is shown. Such as CH30H2. That would be a protonated methanol. When writing the mechanism for this reaction, I think water is usually written as 0H2 so that its oxygen is oriented towards the carbon of which is will eventually bond. Ex.
CH3Cl + OH2 --> CH3OH2 + Cl ---> CH30H + HCl
Either way, it's convention, since the empirical formula and structural formula are identical. I think for the empirical formula H is before O, but if it's written structurally I think it can be oriented any way the author wants if it illustrates a mechanism better.

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Loudmouth, posted 03-04-2005 2:10 PM JustinC has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024