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What is the condensed structural formula for pentylamine?

Published in Amine 2 mins read

The condensed structural formula for pentylamine is CH3(CH2)4NH2 or, written out fully, CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2NH2.

Understanding Pentylamine

Pentylamine is an organic compound classified as a primary amine. It is also systematically known by its IUPAC name, pentan-1-amine.

The molecular composition of pentylamine is represented by the chemical formula C5H13N. This formula indicates that each molecule contains five carbon atoms, thirteen hydrogen atoms, and one nitrogen atom. The structure specifically features a straight chain of five carbon atoms, with the amino (-NH2) functional group attached to the first carbon atom in the chain.

Deriving the Condensed Structural Formula

A condensed structural formula offers a concise way to represent organic molecules by grouping atoms bonded to each carbon, especially hydrogen atoms, and showing the connectivity in a linear or branched fashion.

For pentan-1-amine:

  • The prefix "pentan-" signifies a parent chain composed of five carbon atoms.
  • The suffix "-1-amine" specifies that the amino (-NH2) functional group is located on the first carbon atom of this five-carbon chain.

To construct the condensed formula:

  1. Start the chain with the carbon bearing the amino group. Since it's a primary amine at the end of the chain, this carbon will be bonded to two hydrogens and the NH2 group, forming a -CH2NH2 segment.
  2. The remaining four carbons form the rest of the linear chain. These will typically be methylene (-CH2-) units.
  3. The very end of the chain (opposite to the amino group) will be a methyl (-CH3) group.

Combining these segments, the full condensed structural formula is CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-NH2. This can be further condensed by grouping the four repeating methylene units: CH3(CH2)4NH2. Both representations accurately describe the structure of pentan-1-amine.

Key Information for Pentylamine

Property Value
Chemical Formula C5H13N
IUPAC Name pentan-1-amine
Functional Group Primary Amine
Condensed Formula CH3(CH2)4NH2