Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Trending News

Promoted
sunflowers
Lv 4
sunflowers asked in Science & MathematicsChemistry · 6 years ago

Substituents and branches in organic chemistry. Are they different words for the same thing?

Update:

I've been searching online for a simple, straight forward answer and can not find one.

Is the bond that comes off of the carbon on the parent chain called a branch?

Are the functional groups attached to the "branch" the substituents?

2 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    These two words are synonyms unless you do advanced polymer chemistry. Other terms used for describing branches from a parent structure include:

    - Group

    - Branch

    - Pendant Group

    - Sidechain

  • ?
    Lv 7
    6 years ago

    Substituents are usually atoms different from carbon - - halogens, the various oxygen functional groups,, etc.

    Branches are alkyl groups "Branching" from the main chain of carbon atoms.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.