Explanations:
Isomers are molecules having the same molecular formula and different structural formulas. The types of structural isomerism we have include;
• Chain isomerism
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• Position isomerism
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• Functional isomerism
Chain isomerism: This type of isomerism occurs due to the presence and possibility of branching in a hydrocarbon or the difference in the arrangement of C atoms in the chain.
• For example, butane (C₄H₁₀) has ,two isomers,. Carbon atoms lie in a ,straight chain ,while the other is branched.
• Another example is ,pentane, (C5H12) with 3 chain isomers
Position Isomerism: This type of isomerism occurs due to the position of the functional groups in a molecule.
• For instance, C₃H₇Br has two structural formulas. What differentiates these formulas is the position of bromine atoms in both formulas. In one of the structures, bromine is on the ,end of the chain,, whereas i,n the other it is attached in the middle.
• Another example of a compound that exhibit position isomerism is ,C6H4Br2,, with ,three isomers,: 1,2- dibromobenzene, 1,3 dibromobenzene, and 1,4-dibromobenzene
Functional group isomerism: In this type of isomerism, the isomers belong to different families of compounds (different homologous series).
• Examples of functional group isomerism are ,C3H6O, which can be either ,propanal ,(an aldehyde) or, propanone, (a ketone) and ,C3H6O2, that can either be ,methyl ethanoate, or ,propionic acid.