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What is an alkyl group?
- How many carbons are in methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl? Is methyl the same as methane...?
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An alkyl group is a piece of a molecule with the general formula CnH2n+1, where n is some integer. For example, a methyl group (CH3) is a fragment of a methane molecule (CH4); n = 1 in this case. The -yl ending means "a fragment of an alkane formed by removing a hydrogen".Vocabulary alkane 
alkyl group
hydrocarbon
Alkane Formula Alkyl group Formula methane CH4 methyl group -CH3 ethane CH3CH3 ethyl group -CH2CH3 propane CH3CH2CH3 n-propyl group -CH2CH2CH3 butane CH3CH2CH2CH3 n-butyl group -CH2CH2CH2CH3
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General Chemistry Online! What is an alkyl group?
Copyright © 1997-2001 by Fred Senese
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Last Revised 02/23/18.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101-hidden/organic/faq/yl-ending.shtml