Question

I've been doing organic chemistry and I don't really understand how to draw some isomers. I know how to draw the easier isomers like Butan-1-ol and Butan-2-ol but I don't get how there can be other ones and how to draw them...please help

Answer 1

It's tough to draw diagrams on these boards. I'll just draw the skeleton and not fill in the H atoms. But you understand that each C has four bonds.
C
|
C
|
C
|
C-OH is butan-1-ol


C
|
C
|
C-OH
|
C is butan-2-ol

These two isomers are made by placing the OH in two different locations. But why can't we branch the C chain. It need not be a straight chain as in the two above. For example,

C
|
C-C
|
C-OH

C
|
C-OH
|
C
This site may help a little better than I can draw them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanol