visualizing product of aldol condensations

[doubledoctordoubletrouble]

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Gahh I recall reading somewhere a shortcut to visualizing the product of aldol condensations, but I can't find the resource. Anyone have an easy way to know what the product should look like?

 

[azor ahai]

draw the two remaining alpha H's around the carbonyl O and you should see H2O - those leave as the new bond is formed.

 

[erythrocyte666]

if you're referring to aldol condensation followed by dehydration elimination, put carbonyl oxygen of one reactant and alpha carbon of second reactant, knock out the oxygen, and make double bond b/w the carbons