What is the difference between ether and ketone?
Ketone and ether are organic compounds that tend to confuse many students. These compounds have different chemical and physical properties.
The lesson provides detailed insight into the difference between ether and ketone in a tabular form for easier understanding.
What Is Ether?
Ether is an organic formula having a chemical formula of R-O-R. Where O represents oxygen atom being bonded by two alkyl or aryl groups.
The presence of oxygen atoms being bonded by two carbon atoms result in a C-O-C structure which implies the presence of ether group.
The ether group represents a functional group that defines the chemical properties and its reaction process.
Characteristics of Ether
- Have sweet-smelling liquid at room temperature
- Does not form a hydrogen bond
- Have low boiling points
- Tend to be highly volatile and flammable
- Form hydrogen bond with water
- Undergo cleavage reaction
- Tend to be inert
- Result in the formation of explosive peroxide
What Is Ketone?
Ketone is an organic compound with a chemical formula of R-C (=O)-R. The oxygen atom gets bonded to a carbon atom with a double bond.
Later, the carbon atom is bonded to two other alkyl or aryl groups which define the structure of ketone.
The carbon atom is denoted as sp2 hybridized which has only three stigma bonds around it. This makes the carbon atom to be planar in geometry.
Characteristics of Ketone
- Has polar molecules due to the double bond
- Form hydrogen bond with water
- The compound is soluble in water
- Experience nucleophilic addition reaction.
Comparison Chart: Ether Vs Ketone
| Basic Terms | Ether | Ketone |
| Meaning | Refers to an organic compound with two alkyl groups bonded to oxygen atom | It is an organic compound that contain oxygen atom bonded to carbon atom with a double bond |
| Chemical Formula | R-O-R | R-C-(=O)R |
| Functional Group | C-O-C. | -C (=O)-. |
| Acidity of Alpha Carbons | Less acidic | More acidic |
| Hybridization of Carbons | The hybridization of carbon in C-O-C bond is sp3. | The hybridization of carbon in the carbonyl group is sp2. |
| Bond Type between Carbon and Oxygen | Single bond | Double bond |
| Polarity | Less polar | Quite polar |
Core Difference between Ether and Ketone
- Ether is an organic compound with two alkyl groups bonded to oxygen atom while ketone is an organic compound that contains oxygen atom bonded to the carbon atom with a double bond
- Ether is less polar while ketone is more polar
- The bond between carbon and oxygen atom in ether is a single bond while in ketone is a double bond
- Ether has sp3 hybridized carbon atoms while ketone has sp2 hybridized carbon atom per molecule.
- The functional group of ether has an oxygen atom bonded to two carbon atoms while that of ketone has an oxygen atom bonded to one carbon atom.
- The acidity of alpha carbon in ether is less acidic while that in ketone is more acidic
Read More: Difference between Glucose and Dextrose
Comparison Video
Summary
The core difference between ether and ketone is that ether is an organic compound with two alkyl group and oxygen atom while ketone is an organic compound that contains an oxygen bonded to carbon atoms with a double bond.