Hmm, that's tricky now I think about it... I usually use instinct! I'd normally use phenyl when the attached group was quite large, say phenylethanoate - not that that's especially huge but I guess it just sounds better. There's nothing wrong with phenylethane, so far as I know; it's just the convention is that if the substituent group is an alkane you say ~ylbenzene.

Reply 4

T.r.i.n.i.t.y

OP

MadNatSci

Hmm, that's tricky now I think about it... I usually use instinct! I'd normally use phenyl when the attached group was quite large, say phenylethanoate - not that that's especially huge but I guess it just sounds better. There's nothing wrong with phenylethane, so far as I know; it's just the convention is that if the substituent group is an alkane you say ~ylbenzene.

thanks alot.. i really appreciate your help

Reply 5

noggin

7

but for something like phenylamine you would use phenyl, not call it benzeneamine or something like that.

Reply 6

ShadowStorm

It really is just a case of knowing it.
~ylbenzene
phenylamine
benzoic acid
chlorobenzene

trichlorophenol / tribromophenol, etc. (however that's a variation on phenol, not benzene)

There aren't that many that come up in A-level Chemistry, though

Reply 7

hornblower

6

T.r.i.n.i.t.y

thanks, when would you use the word phenyl usually?

Phenyl- refers to a molecule that has the benzene ring as a side chain. The molecule displays properties that are not very benzene-like.

Phenylethane is not usually called ethylbenzene because the molecule behaves more like ethane than benzene.

Help with benzene

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