Understanding Chain Isomerism with Examples

Chain isomerism is a type of structural isomerism where compounds with the same molecular formula have different arrangements of the carbon chain (or skeleton). This means that the carbon atoms can be connected in different ways to form different structures.

For example, consider butane (C₄H₁₀):

• n-butane: A straight chain of four carbon atoms (CH₃-CH₂-CH₂-CH₃).
• isobutane: A branched chain where three carbon atoms form a chain and the fourth carbon is attached to the middle carbon (CH₃-CH(CH₃)-CH₃).

Both n-butane and isobutane have the same molecular formula (C₄H₁₀) but different structures, making them chain isomers of each other.