Carbons

[marinah]

CH3CH(CH3)CH(CH2CH3)C(CH3)3 how do you decide which carbons are part of the parent chain while the others are substituents? I'm just confused because don't the parenthesis go around the substituents?
(this is #2 in the first quiz 3 prep)

[504646485]

In a condensed structural formula, the parenthesis means how many times the structure is repeated. Whereas in an extended structural formula, the parenthesis go around the substituents.

[Chiara R 1K]

I think since the parent chain is the longest continuous chain of carbons you can form, when you draw out the given molecule, the longest possible chain you can get is a chain of five, hence the pentane part of the name. Then, regardless of how you counted the five, when it is drawn out you can see 3 methyl substituents and one ethyl substituent that aren't included in the parent chain. So I think the parenthesis are merely indicative of what is attached to each C, and drawing it out shows which forms the longest parent chain and which ones remain as substituents!