H H
H-C-C-Cl
H H
This is a primary alkyl halide (alkyl halide meaning a halide is attched
to an alkyl group). The reason this is so is because the carbon that the
halide (Cl) is attached to has only ONE other carbon attached to it.
A secondary alkyl halide would look like this:
H H H
| | |
H-C-C-C-H
| | |
H | H
Cl (The extra long bondlenth is just to distingush it from
the ajacent H's, it is not to scale or anything)
Here the halide (Cl) is attached to the middle carbon. That carbon is
attached to TWO other carbons, making it a secondary alky halide.
A teritary alkyl halide woul look like this:
CH3
|
CH3-C-Cl
|
CH3
Because the halide is attached to the carbon that has THREE other carbons
attached to it. An important point to note is that a 4` is not possible,
as that would mean that the carbon is attached to FOUR other carbons,
leaving no room for the functional group such as a halide.
CH3
|
CH3-C-CH3 ???Cl???
|
CH3 ^---Where do I fit???
This system works for Alkyl Halides and Alcohols. With amines it differs
slightly. The primary, secondary, and teritary structure in Amines is
based on the number of organic groups that are attached to the NITROGEN
(not the carbon(s) the nitrogen is attached to).
A primary amine: A secondary amine: A teritary amine:
+ + +
R-N-H R-N-H R-N-R``
| | |
H R` R`
(The + denotes the nonbonding electron pair)
Reference your organic chem book on page 67 top for explinations of Alkyl
Halides (and Alcohol) 1`/2`/3` structuring, and page 70 middle to end for
explanations of Amine 1`/2`/3` structuring.