AS Chemistry

Structural
Isomerism
Isomerism
ISOMERISM
• stereoisomerism
• optical
• geometrical
• structural
• chain
• positional
• functional
Isomerism
• Isomerism is when compounds with the same
molecular formula have their atoms arranged in
different orders and/or arrangements
• e.g.
C5H10
Chain isomerism C5H12
• In chain isomerism the carbon chain is rearranged to
create different structures

pentane  methyl butane  dimethylpropane

Hexane

• Draw as many isomers as you can for

hexane, C6H14
• Compare you answers to your partners
Remember they exist in 3-dimensional space
Positional isomerism
• Positional isomerism is when a functional group
changes position
Pentan-1-ol Pentan-2-ol Pentan-3-ol
Practice to fluency

How many isomers are there of an

alcohol with the formula: C5H11OH?
Consider chain and positional isomerism

• Extension:
• Which are primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols?
• What are the skeletal/structural formulae?
Functional group isomerism
• Functional group isomerism occurs when
compounds have the same molecular formulae but
different functional groups
• e.g.

C2H6O

ethanol methoxymethane
Check for understanding
• Draw all of the isomers of C5H10  

• Compare your answers to you partners

• Which two are chain isomers?

• Which two are positional isomers?
• remember a double bond is type of functional group
Final practice- plenary
• Propane and chlorine react to produce a complicated
mixture of organic compounds
• Four of these compounds are structural isomers with
the molecular formula C3H6Cl2
• Draw the structural or skeletal formulae of these
isomers and name the compounds
• Create 5 summary sentences about the organic chemistry you
have covered so far by using the words above to help you