Final answer:
There are a total of 6 possible structural isomers for the molecular formula C₅H₁₀O with either an aldehyde or a ketone functional group, considering different positions of the carbonyl group along the carbon chain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the number of possible structural isomers for the molecular formula C₅H₁₀O that includes aldehyde or ketone functional groups. Structural isomers have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements of atoms. For C₅H₁₀O, we must consider both aldehyde and ketone groups.
An aldehyde has the general formula R-C-H group where one of the groups attached to the carbonyl carbon is always a hydrogen atom. Ketones have the formula R-C-R' with both groups attached being hydrocarbon chains. Hence, when we count isomers for this molecular formula, we take into account where the carbonyl group can be positioned along the carbon chain.
For aldehydes
, there are only a few possibilities:
- Pentanal: The aldehyde group is at the end of a 5 carbon straight chain.
- Butanal: The aldehyde group is at the end of a 4 carbon chain with a methyl group at C-2.
For ketones, the possibilities are:
- Pentan-2-one: The ketone group is at the second carbon of a 5 carbon straight chain.
- Pentan-3-one: The ketone group is at the third carbon.
- 3-methylbutan-2-one: The ketone group is at the second carbon with a methyl group at C-3.
- 2-methylbutan-2-one: The ketone group is at the second carbon with a methyl group at C-2.
In total, combining both aldehyde and ketone options, we find there are 6 structural isomers possible for the molecular formula C₅H₁₀O with either an aldehyde or a ketone functional group.