tom haggen - 12-10-2004 at 13:09
I have a synthesis that calls for 2 solvents. One by the name of MeOH which makes no sense because there is no such atom as Me. If I had to guess I
would say it means either methonal or methonal hydroxide. Also there is another solvent by the name of Et20. Again no such atom as an Et atom. If
anyone has any ideas I would be glad to hear them.
EDIT: I am now a national hazard.
[Edited on 12-10-2004 by tom haggen]
neutrino - 12-10-2004 at 13:20
Even a newcomer to ochem like me can recognize simple things like this. Me = a methyl group, Et = an ethyl group. Therefore, MeOH = methanol,
Et<sub>2</sub>O = diethyl ether.
[Edited on 12-10-2004 by neutrino]
tom haggen - 12-10-2004 at 17:05
I'm still in general chemistry. Besides why wouldn't methyl alcohol be reffered to as CH3-OH? My room mate took ochem and he doesn't
recognize the Et abbriviation for the ethyl group. I'm wondering if this is some sort of european thing? Sorry for not putting this in the ochem
section.
[Edited on 13-10-2004 by tom haggen]
[Edited on 13-10-2004 by tom haggen]
[Edited on 13-10-2004 by tom haggen]
bennator - 12-10-2004 at 17:52
It's seen here in the US too, it's actually a fairly common shorthand system.
Quantum - 12-10-2004 at 18:26
Bit strange your roomate(and you) didn't know this.
Theres lots of them and they all stand for funtional groups. Pr, Bu, Me, Et ext. I was able to pick up Me and Et from context but sadly I was unable
to find a nice chart listing the abrivations for lots of funtional groups like amides, ketones ext. If anyone could list them I would be interested.
Im just getting into organic chem myself. In some ways it seems easyer because I can't wrap my head around orbitals and stuff like that. Just the
other day I figured out by myself that making diethel ether must be a dehydration(right term?) synth because 2 EtOH's combined and water is
released from the hydroxyl ends leaving one O right? Im going to look stupid if Im wrong.
I guess the sulfuric acid sucks away the water to let the reaction continue correct?
BromicAcid - 12-10-2004 at 18:45
Decent sized list of shorthands.
Smaller list, but this one with pictures (at bottom)
Better list, more of the useful ones on this one.
Yet another listing, this one more specific.
Abbreviations for specific compounds (PDF)
neutrino - 12-10-2004 at 18:54
I believe that the conc. H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> + EtOH reaction is simalar to the reaction with sugar: Water is forcibly
removed from the organic molecules in both.
Tom: I'm not in an ochem course yet, all I know is from this forum and E&W, plus a smattering of other misc sources. Strange that someone who
has not taken any fprmal ochem courses knows basic things that people who have taken it don't, huh? Education seems to really be going down the
toilet, unfortunately. That's another matter altogether though.
Btw, I'm in a 1st year college chem course.
tom haggen - 12-10-2004 at 20:44
Ya I don't know. I figured that MeOH was referring to methonal when I was reading the synthesis I have. I really haven't had much practice
memorizing short hand abriviations yet. I'm just getting started in my college career as a chemist so I wouldn't say that my education is
going down the toilet. Thanks for the lists of short hands bromic acid.
Magpie - 12-10-2004 at 21:09
This is a bit off topic but 2 statements in this thread intrique me. One is that "education is going down the toilet." I had this
impression until I started taking an organic chemistry class as a refresher to the one I took decades ago. In no way is today's class inferior.
In fact it is much more demanding. But it is 6 cr vs 3 credits so that makes a big difference. They demand more out of dentists and pharmacists than
chemical engineers in organic chemistry. Also, my course is full of orbitals (s, p, sp, sp2 sp3, etc). How can you learn about bonds without them?
I noted to a classmate how surprising it was that the Nobel Prize winners in physics, medicine, and chemistry were just about all Americans. He said
that they we were living off the good educations of previous decades. I agreed with him at first, but now I'm not so sure, as I'm
witnessing education as an insider instead of an outsider. Maybe I"m just lucky to have found a good class.