How To Draw Newman Projections From Line Structures

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You probably don't want me designing your business firm. I tin can't look at floorplans and 'encounter' what the finished edifice will exist like. Similarly, when it came to understanding molecules in 3D, I wasn't a natural. I peculiarly remember being bad at Newman projections! And notwithstanding, every bit a research organic pharmacist, my specialty was stereochemistry. How does that work?!

How practise yous grok* stereochemistry?

It boils down to one thing – practice! I thought stereochemistry was an interesting challenge, and I also fabricated an early investment in a molecular model set. I made models of everything and tried to become my head around how the object in my hand related to the drawings on the page. Slowly the puzzles fit together, and eventually I understood it better than the rest of the form.

Nascency of a new man…

In one case you've mastered the art ofnaming alkanes, sooner or after in organic chemical science, y'all're going to take to draw Newman projections. And not merely describe them, only convert betwixt them and line-bond (aka bond-line or zig-zag) structures. In the video beneath, I've distilled the procedure for doing this, and I guide y'all through two examples.

Stop drawing bad structures!

Download structure-drawing templates, as seen in the video above, to draw meliorate structures that your Prof. can understand in the exam!

"But model sets are expensive!"

Or, "I've lost mine", or "they have besides long to apply", or "damn atoms and bonds are likewise difficult to pull apart", or… There's a lot reasons why a model fix might non be for you. I totally go it. But, you even so need exercise. What'due south a chemist to practice?

Applied science to the rescue!

I feel your hurting, so I created some interactive models for you, below. Grab a pen and some paper, and use the model to draw Newman projections for each of these from the indicate of view indicated past the beady fiddling eye. You can check your answers by expanding the tab below each question!

Practise Question i

Practice Question 2

Are y'all at present a Newman Ninja?

Are you feeling confident with these? Like a Newman ninja? Let me know in the comments below, and please tell me what y'all think of having exercise questions with interactive molecules like this!

Notes

*I learnt the word 'grok' from an American podcast and I love it! Simply whenever I use information technology here in Commonwealth of australia, no-one understands. If you haven't heard it before, it means to "understand (something) intuitively or by empathy."

If you'd like to utilise the hexagonal template from the video in your own studies, check them out here!

The 'team' is Dr. Mark Coster. :) Mark makes stuff.

When he's not making stuff, he's educational activity other people how to make stuff. Mark was one of those kids who loved nothing more than to build things out of Lego. He nevertheless feels that joy, but at present his 'stuff' is molecules that he builds from atoms.

He occasionally writes biographies in 3rd person. ;)

And he still likes Lego too.

Organic Chemistry Explained