Question

Explain why the name butanol is not specific whereas thename butanone represents a specific compoun

Answer 1

Answer:

A ketone has to be on an internal C.

For butanone that means it has to be 2-butanone (which is the correct name for 3-butanone.)

For butanol, the alcohol group can be on the 1C or the 2C, so to be specific,

the possible names are 1-butanol and 2-butanol, and potentially t-butanol which stands

Answer 2

Butanol may have —OH group on the first or the second carbon atom as

Therefore, butanol does not represent a specific compound. Butanone cannot have the carbonyl group at any other position.

Therefore, it represents a specific compound.