1. Living By Chemistry SECOND EDITION
Unit 2: SMELLS
Molecular Structure and Properties

2. Lesson 28: Sniffing Around
Molecular Formulas

3. ChemCatalyst
1. What do you think is happening when you smell something?
2. Why do you think we have a sense of smell?

4. Key Question
What does chemistry have to do with smell?

5. You will be able to:
detect patterns in chemical formulas and relate these patterns to a molecular property
create a hypothesis based on analysis of data

6. Prepare for the Activity
Work in groups of three or four.
Molecular formula: The chemical formula of a molecular substance, showing the types of atoms in each molecule and the ratios of those atoms to one another.

7. Prepare for the Activity (cont.)
Chemicals may have very strong odors or be caustic. When smelling, don’t sniff directly from the container. Instead, use a wafting technique (use your hand to draw air toward you).

8. Wrap Up What does chemistry have to do with smell?
Smell appears to be related to molecular formula and chemical name.

9. Lesson 29: Molecules in Two Dimensions
Structural Formulas

10. ChemCatalyst
Predict the smells of these three new molecules. Provide evidence to support your prediction.
Vial F: ethyl pentanoate
C7H14O2
Vial G: butyric acid
C4H8O2
Vial H: ethyl acetate

11. Key Question
How can molecules with the same molecular formula be different?

12. You will be able to:
describe the difference between structural formulas and molecular formulas
recognize isomers

13. Discussion Notes
Even though the molecules in vials G and H have identical molecular formulas, they have different smells and therefore must be different somehow.
A structural formula is a two-dimensional drawing of a molecule showing how the atoms in a molecule are connected.

14. Discussion Notes (cont.)
Structural formula: A drawing or diagram that a chemist uses to show how the atoms in a molecule are connected. Each line represents a covalent bond.
There are several ways to draw the same structural formula without changing the identity of the molecule.

15. Discussion Notes (cont.)
When two molecules have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas, they are called isomers of each other.
Isomers: Molecules with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas.

16. Discussion Notes—Isomers

17. Discussion Notes (cont.)
Molecules can smell different even if they have the same molecular formula.
Molecules can smell similar even if they have different molecular formulas.

18. Wrap Up
How can molecules with the same molecular formula be different?
Structural formulas show how the atoms in a molecule are connected.
A molecular formula can be associated with more than one structural formula.
Isomers are molecules with identical molecular formulas but different structural formulas.
The smell of a molecule is a property that appears to be related to its structure.

19. Check-In
For each compound, predict the smell or describe what information you would want in order to predict the smell.
a. C6H12O2 b. C6H15N