The correct structure for ethyl 3-methylbutanoate is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prefix "ethyl" indicates that there is an ethyl group (-CH2CH3) attached to the main carbon chain, which has five carbons in total (pentane). The "3-methyl" indicates that there is a methyl group (-CH3) attached to the third carbon of the main chain. Lastly, the suffix "-oate" indicates that there is an ester functional group (-COO-) attached to the chain. Putting all of this together, we can see that only option II matches this structure.

The Correct Structure for Ethyl 3-Methylbutanoate Is