What is Difference between n-heptane and heptanes?

Answer 1

Heptane is a hydrocarbon molecule which contains 7 carbons and 16 hydrogens. Structurally, it can be a simple chain of the 7 carbons, a circular arrangement of the carbons, or any of a number of branching carbon chains. Chemists try to indicate structure by using abbreviations such as:

1. CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 (for n-heptane) to demonstrate the simple linear straight chain,
2. the word cyclo- in cycloheptane C7H14 (for cycloheptane, though strictly rather an isomere of heptene C7H14) to indicate a circular arrangement,
3. and structures like CH3CH2CH(CH2CH3)CH2CH3 (for 3-ethyl-pentane) to indicate a branching chain -- in this case, there is a chain of 5 carbons with the central one having a 2-carbon chain branching off.

   These are hard to show here, but an attempt is:

C - C -C- C - C

|

C - C

In total there are 9 isomeres if heptane (11 enantiomeres) which can be seen in the wikipedia page connected by: Related links, just below this answer field.

Answer 2

N-heptane is a specific isomer of heptane, while heptanes refer to a mixture of isomers of heptane. N-heptane has a linear structure, while heptanes can contain branched isomers in addition to n-heptane.

Answer 3

There is not a difference in the two products, only the two names. n-heptane is simply medical terminology instead of scientific terminology.