How many carbon atoms are present in the parent chain of tert-Butyl alcohol ?

Options

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5

Answer

To determine how many carbon atoms are present in the parent chain of tert-Butyl alcohol, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Name
The name "tert-Butyl alcohol" gives us important information:
- "Butyl" indicates that the compound is derived from butane, which has 4 carbon atoms.
- "Tert" (short for tertiary) indicates that the alcohol is attached to a tertiary carbon atom.

### Step 2: Draw the Structure
Let's draw the structure of tert-Butyl alcohol:
- The butyl group has 4 carbon atoms.
- The structure can be represented as follows:

```
CH3
|
CH3 - C - OH
|
CH3
```

### Step 3: Identify the Parent Chain
In the structure:
- The longest continuous chain of carbon atoms is what we refer to as the parent chain.
- In this case, the longest chain includes the central carbon (C) and the three methyl groups (CH3) attached to it.

### Step 4: Count the Carbon Atoms
- The longest chain consists of 4 carbon atoms:
1. The central carbon (attached to OH)
2. The three methyl groups (each contributing one carbon).

### Conclusion
Thus, the parent chain of tert-Butyl alcohol consists of **4 carbon atoms**.

### Final Answer
The number of carbon atoms present in the parent chain of tert-Butyl alcohol is **4**.

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