3.3 Alkyl Groups
If you imagine removing a hydrogen atom from an alkane, the partial structure that remains is called an alkyl group. Alkyl groups are not stable compounds themselves, they are simply parts of larger compounds. Alkyl groups are named by replacing the –ane ending of the parent alkane with an –yl ending. For example, removal of a hydrogen from methane, 〖CH〗_4, generates a methyl group, 〖-CH〗_3, and removal of a hydrogen from ethane, 〖CH〗_3 CH_3,generates an ethyl group, -〖CH〗_2 CH_3 .