What is Xylene?

Question

What is it composed of?

Answer 1

Xylene is dimethylbenzene, consisting usually of a combination of three possible isomers:

ortho-, or 1,2-, where the two methyl groups are on adjacent ring carbons
meta-, or 1,3-, where the two methyl groups are separated by one carbon
para, or 1,4-, where the two methyl groups are on opposite sides of the ring

Answer 2

The Xylenes are based on the 'Benzene Ring' which is C6H6 and is an aromatic having alternating single and double bonds.
Two 'Methyl' groups, replacing two Hydrogens, are attached to two of the 6 carbons: -

All have the formula...C8H10 (C6H4CH3CH3)

*...'Ortho-xylene' always has the 1st methyl group attached to the 1st (top) carbon and the 2nd group is attached to the 2nd carbon in the ring.
(1,2-Dimethyl benzene).

*...'Para-xylene' has the 2nd methyl group attached to the 3rd carbon.
(1,3-Dimethyl benzene).

*...'Meta-xylene' has the 2nd methyl group on the 4th carbon.
(1,4-Dimethyl benzene).

(Care to be taken with the placement of the 3 sets of double bonds when drawing the structure.)


(For drjaycat: Rubbish...Check your facts, Benzene has 3 double bonds and 3 single bonds set alternately ..also, it is not an Alkene it is an Aromatic...otherwise you could not have C6H6).

Answer 3

For Norrie - a benzene ring does NOT have "alternating single and double bonds" - if it did, it would undergo addition reactions like any other alkene. The carbons are sp^2 hybridised, leading to them forming three sigma-bonds (single bonds) to 2 other carbons in the ring and one hydrogen. The remaining p-orbitals are unchanged and project above and below the planar ring, and contain 6 electons which are delocalised (shared between the 6 carbons, but not involved in bonding for any individual carbon). It's this delocalisation that makes the benzene ring so stable and prevents it undergoing addition reactions.
Sorry, I know that doesn't answer your question but I hate to see inaccuracies...and from a top contributer, too!
As the rest say, xylene is dimethylbenzene.

Answer 4

C6H4(CH3)2 More correctly dimethyl benzene. There are three forms of it since the methyl groups CH3 can be differently placed around the benzene ring. Need a drawing system to show this.

Answer 5

Xylene is a benzene ring C6H6 which has dropped 2 of its Hydrogens and replaced them with a methyl group CH3 and so a xylene now has the formula C6H4(CH3)2.


Benzene ring:

...H______H
.....//...........\\
....//.............\\
H//................\\H
...\................./
....\.............../
..H\______/H
......¯¯¯¯¯¯


Xylene:

...H______CH3
.....//...........\\
....//.............\\
H//...............\\CH3
...\................./
....\.............../
..H\______/H
......¯¯¯¯¯¯

At each cornor of the hexagon is a carbon atom. These molecule rings have alternating double bonds which accounts for each carbon having only three bonds attached to it (the double bond counts as another).


Molecular Formula C6H4(CH3)2
Molecular Weight 106.16


Xylenes exist as either ortho-xylene, meta-xylene or para-xylene. These differ by the location of the methyl groups on each molecule.

...H______CH3
.....//...........\\
....//.............\\
H//...............\\CH3
...\................./
....\.............../
..H\______/H
......¯¯¯¯¯¯
Ortho: methyl groups are next to one another.

...H______CH3
.....//............\\
....//..............\\
H//................\\H
...\................./
....\.............../
..H\______/CH3
......¯¯¯¯¯¯
Meta: Methyl groups have one carbon between one another.

......H______CH3
........//...........\\
.......//.............\\
...H//...............\\H
......\................./
.......\.............../
CH3\______/H
.........¯¯¯¯¯¯

Para: Methyl groups areopposite one another ie. there are 2 carbons between each methyl group.


Never mind the dots in my drawing its just to space out the molecule because it deletes the spaces =]


ALSO FOR DRJAYCAT: you talk some amount of cr.ap that your rear end must be jealous =] Am siding with Norrie here, we are all taught that a benzene ring has alternating double and single bonds which result in its stability and it not being an unsaturated molecule. You must have missed that class bud but im sure both me n Norrie will be happy to tutor u a bit so dont beat yourself up about it =]

Answer 6

This is a constituent part in paint, thinners and the like. Breathing it in causes discomfort, breathing difficulties and sickness. Any place in which the products I describe should be well ventilated and any effect on a human being should be dealt with by a Doctor.

Answer 7

It is a molecule composed of a ring of 6 carbon atoms, and two CHHH appendages.

Answer 8

http://www.reference.com/search?q=xylene