Past exam of the chemistry course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / Paper 1 / 1 / b / i

B gives spectrum 4. Number the unsaturated acyl chain from its carbonyl carbon. For $\mathrm{MeO}-\mathrm{C}(=\mathrm{O})-\mathrm{CH}=\mathrm{CH}-\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_3$, the assignments areThe strongly deshielded beta carbon and relatively shielded alpha carbon reflect polarization of the conjugated ester. All four protonated carbons here are CH or methyl environments and share one attached proton test phase, whereas the carbonyl has the opposite phase. The methoxy resonance is decisive: B has an O-bound methyl, not an O-bound methylene.