Question

What is the condensed structural formula for toluene with bromine?

Answer 1

Hint: A condensed structural formula is the representation of the structural formula but different from a structural formula. It is compact and easier to write. It consists of the general formula of any molecule, but the atoms are placed in a manner that depicts the structural position of the atoms. Toluene is a benzene ring with a methyl group at Para position.

Complete answer:
The condensed structural formulas of molecules are convenient to study and easy to write in a more compact way. The condensed structural formula for compounds are different from the chemical or molecular formula, as they consist of the atoms according to their positions as in the structural formula, while the molecular formula tells the total number of atoms present in the molecule without telling us the positions of atoms.
Toluene is a benzene ring with a $C{{H}_{3}}$ (methyl) group at Para position. We have been given a toluene with bromine atoms to detect the condensed structural formula. Now, considering that the bromine is attached at the ortho position, we will have the structure of the compound as,

Then, the formula for toluene with bromine at ortho position will be ${{C}_{6}}{{H}_{4}}C{{H}_{3}}Br$
Hence, the condensed structural formula for toluene with bromine is ${{C}_{6}}{{H}_{4}}C{{H}_{3}}Br$.

Note:
There may be another instance when the bromine atom is attached with the methyl group of toluene then the structure becomes,
 

So, the formula will be ${{C}_{6}}{{H}_{5}}C{{H}_{2}}Br$. In both the cases the molecular formula will be the same as ${{C}_{7}}{{H}_{7}}Br$. In ${{C}_{6}}{{H}_{4}}C{{H}_{3}}Br$, the bromine can be attached on ortho, meta or para positions also but the condensed formula will be same.