Draw the structural formula for 2-methyl-3-pentene

To draw the structural formula for 2-methyl-3-pentene, we first need to understand the name of the compound. The name indicates that it is a derivative of pentene, which means it has five carbon atoms and contains a double bond. The ‘2-methyl’ part indicates that there is a methyl group (-CH₃) attached to the second carbon of the main chain.

Here’s how to construct the structural formula:

1. Start with the main chain of five carbon atoms (pentene):
   • C1 – C2 – C3 – C4 – C5
2. Add the double bond between C3 and C4, since ‘3-pentene’ indicates the double bond is located at the third carbon position:
   • C1 – C2 – C3 = C4 – C5
3. Now, attach the methyl group (-CH₃) to the second carbon (C2):
   • C1 – C2 – CH₃ = C3 – C4 – C5

The final structural formula can be represented as follows:

   H   H   H
    |   |   | 
H - C - C = C - C - C - H
    |       |      | 
   H  H   H   H
         

In this structure:

• The vertical lines represent bonds between carbon atoms.
• The double bond between C3 and C4 is indicated by the equal sign.
• Methyl group is attached to the C2 carbon, satisfying the ‘2-methyl’ descriptor.

Now we have successfully drawn the structural formula for 2-methyl-3-pentene!