chapter 4 carbon and its compound dec 2015 | Page 5

On the basis of structures the hydrocarbons can be:

Structural isomers : these are the compounds having identical molecular formula
but different structures. For example, isomers of butane.

Heteroatom and Functional Group :
*In hydrocarbon chain, one or more hydrogen atoms can be replaced by other
atoms in accordance with their valencies. The element that replaces hydrogen is
called a heteroatom.
*These heteroatoms and the group containing them impart chemical properties to
the compound and hence are called functional groups.

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