What do these mean exactly?
2007-10-17 05:20:43 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
They are abbreviations for functional groups in well known reactions. For example, the esterification reaction involves an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. The reaction works with nearly all alcohols and carboxylic acids. Here, the R' and R" are purely generic terms and don't participate in the reaction:
R'-OH + R"-CO2H -> R"-CO2-R' + H2O
alcohol + acid -> ester + water
2007-10-17 05:30:35 · answer #1 · answered by Roger S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
R' is one alkyl or aryl group, and R" is another of a different kind. One usually uses R first without an apostrophe before going on to R' and R". For example:
An alcohol is R-OH, where R may be CH3-, CH3CH2-, etc.
A ketone is R-CO-R', where R = R' = CH3- or R is CH3- and R' is CH3CH2-.
A tertiary alcohol is RR'R"C-OH.
2007-10-17 12:31:34 · answer #2 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
R represents substituent groups bonded to a carbon atom. Could be Cl- , Br-, OH-, or another carbon containing group like -CH3. Ex. R'-CH=CH-R'' could be CH3 CH=CH Br. It is a generic term for something else bonded to the molecule.
2007-10-17 12:35:21 · answer #3 · answered by papastolte 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋