- Condensed structures efficiently show atomic connectivity
When we’re not concerned with molecular shape or electron placement and are only interested in connectivity, we can use a very simple representation: a condensed structure. Condensed structures are similar to molecular formulae in that they consist of lists of atomic symbols followed by numerical subscripts that show how many of each atom is present. However, they differ in that the arrangement of atoms in the condensed structures tells us how the atoms are connected. For example, the condensed structure for ethanol, CH3CH2OH, tells us that we have a CH3 group bonded to a CH2 group, which is bonded to an OH group, as shown in the model, below. Condensed structures are popular in textbooks because they convey connectivity without taking up much space.
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