Can you please explain why ch3-O-ch2ch2-Cl is 2 chloro 1 methoxy ethane and not 1 chloro 2 methoxy ethane. As locants are symmetrical we should go with alphabetical order. Ethers and halogens are treated as substituents and not as functional groups.
Hi, it’s to do with which group has ‘priority’. The different functional groups in Chemistry have different priorities compared to each other. This is not normally dwelled on too much at A-level. If you Google image search ‘IUPAC priority order’ then you get some good tables which show ethers as higher priority of the alkyl halogen like in the example you described. Higher priority = smaller number. ~ Rob.
Can you please explain why ch3-O-ch2ch2-Cl is 2 chloro 1 methoxy ethane and not 1 chloro 2 methoxy ethane. As locants are symmetrical we should go with alphabetical order. Ethers and halogens are treated as substituents and not as functional groups.
Hi, it’s to do with which group has ‘priority’. The different functional groups in Chemistry have different priorities compared to each other. This is not normally dwelled on too much at A-level. If you Google image search ‘IUPAC priority order’ then you get some good tables which show ethers as higher priority of the alkyl halogen like in the example you described. Higher priority = smaller number.
~ Rob.
@@mrmurraygreen okay. I'll check.. thanks