1°, 2°, 3°

[Sammy1024]

Just wanted to make sure I have it right:

1° vs 2° is for oxygen's when you look at the status of the Carbon is it attached to?

OH - C - (CH3)2 means it is 3°?

1° vs 2° for nitrogen is when you look at how many carbons the N is attached to?

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[Teleologist]

No and no. Your example alcohol is secondary. For amines think about how many hydrogens on ammonia are substituted.

 

[Sammy1024]

So the idea behind O is right but my example was wrong. I was deciding between writing an H or making the 2 a 3 but forgot. Dumb.

And then N is based off H's only so even it it was NH2 with a carbon somewhere it is still secondary?

 

[Teleologist]

So the idea behind O is right but my example was wrong. I was deciding between writing an H or making the 2 a 3 but forgot. Dumb.

And then N is based off H's only so even it it was NH2 with a carbon somewhere it is still secondary?

I meant no to everything. An alcohol is classified as primary, secondary, etc. based on how many carbons the C-O-H group is attached to through the carbon.

 

[Teleologist]

And then N is based off H's only so even it it was NH2 with a carbon somewhere it is still secondary?

That would be a primary amine.