The compounds butan-1-ol and 2-methylpropan-1-ol are

Options

A. chain isomers
B. position isomers
C. functional isomers
D. metamers

Explanation

To determine the relationship between the compounds butan-1-ol and 2-methylpropan-1-ol, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Structures of the Compounds
1. **Butan-1-ol**: This compound has a straight-chain structure with four carbon atoms and an -OH group attached to the first carbon. Its structure can be represented as:
```
CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-OH
```

2. **2-Methylpropan-1-ol**: This compound has a branched structure. It consists of three carbon atoms in a chain with a methyl group (-CH3) attached to the second carbon and an -OH group attached to the first carbon. Its structure can be represented as:
```
CH3
|
CH3-CH-CH2-OH
```

### Step 2: Analyze the Relationship Between the Two Compounds
- Both compounds have the same molecular formula, C4H10O, which indicates they are isomers.
- However, they differ in the structure of their carbon chains. Butan-1-ol has a straight-chain structure, while 2-methylpropan-1-ol has a branched structure.

### Step 3: Classify the Type of Isomerism
- **Chain Isomers**: Since the compounds differ in the arrangement of their carbon skeletons (one is straight-chain and the other is branched), they are classified as chain isomers.
- **Positional Isomers**: These would involve different positions of the functional group on the same carbon skeleton, which is not the case here.
- **Functional Isomers**: These would involve different functional groups, which is also not applicable here as both are alcohols.
- **Metamers**: These involve different alkyl groups around a functional group, which does not apply to alcohols in this case.

### Conclusion
The compounds butan-1-ol and 2-methylpropan-1-ol are **chain isomers**.

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