Orgo Question. newman projections

[hopefuldoctor19]

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so I was doing a question in TBR, and it said that the CH3 group was the bulkiest group on C2, but wouldn't it be Br?

 

[hopefuldoctor19]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51156769@N07/sets/72157634496971333/

if the image doesn't show up.
Thanks~

 

[jmbusclas]

The CH3 is indeed the bulkiest group. Think of the composition of the methyl group. That carbon has three hydrogens hanging off of it.

 

[hopefuldoctor19]

ok so bulkiness doesn't mean which one is the heaviest? It's whichever one takes up more space/has more stuff on it?

 

[JohnEC]

ok so bulkiness doesn't mean which one is the heaviest? It's whichever one takes up more space/has more stuff on it?

Thats right, with Newman projections your interested in steric effects, so its how much space its taking up, not the mass. However, the problem seems to me like it might not be a great one, because I know my organic text claimed that methyl groups and bromines are actually very similar in size, and I found another source online saying the same thing just now.