On topscore it asks for the H NMR spectrum of m-xylene and it says it has 4 peaks: 2 singlets, 1 doublet, and 1 triplet but I dont understand how they were assigned. Any help is appreciated (I know it might be difficult to explain online)
Hi blamb, let me see if i can help you on this.
Let's label the hydrogen on #2 carbon of the ring as the 1st carbon. this is the hydrogen belonging to the carbon in between the two methyl groups.
1st carbon will have a singlet peak (that's 1 singlet), because there are no adjacent hydrogens
The hydrogens on the 2 methyls all are equivalent, so that's 1 big singlet (that's our second singlet)
Now count the 2nd carbon AWAY from our 1st carbon, these are the carbons that are next to the methyl-attached carbon, but is not in between two methyl substituent.
Those will be doublets, they are the same(so you only get 1 doublet)
Finally we have the hydrogen that is para to our 1st carbon, that has a doublet doublet split, in basic quantum mechanisms, it's actually a quartet, but for simplicity your answer says it's a triplet (if you read an NMR with low resolution, it does appear as a triplet)
Hope that helps.
