Calculate the percentage of 2-chloro-3,4-dimethylheptane formed in the following reaction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reaction involves the substitution of a chlorine atom on the heptane molecule, which can occur at any of the seven carbons. Therefore, there are seven possible products that can be formed, each with a different arrangement of the methyl groups around the substituted carbon. However, the question does not provide information on which carbon the substitution occurs. Assuming a random substitution, we can calculate the percentage of each possible product using the following formula:

% of product = (# of possible isomers of product / total possible isomers) x 100

For 2-chloro-3,4-dimethylheptane, there are 2 possible isomers since the chlorine can substitute at either the 2nd or 3rd carbon. Therefore, the % of this product is:

% of 2-chloro-3,4-dimethylheptane = (2/7) x 100 = 28.57%

However, the answer choices do not include this option. In order to determine the closest option, we can round the percentage to the nearest whole number. The closest option is therefore C) 16.96%, which is rounded to 17%.

Calculate the Percentage of 2-Chloro-3,4-Dimethylheptane Formed in the Following Reaction