Organic Chemistry Basics - Naming Organic Compounds

Question 1

What is a Hydrocarbon?

Answer 1

Compound(s) that contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Question 2

What is Nomenclature?

Answer 2

-set of rules that outline how different organic compounds should be named and how their formulas are represented.

Question 3

What does a prefix tell you ?

Answer 3

-the longest unbroken chain of carbon atoms in a compound.

Question 4

Name all the prefixes from 1-10 unbroken chain of carbons

Answer 4

1- Meth-
2-Eth-
3-Prop-
4-But-
5-Pent-
6-Hex-
7-Hept-
8-Oct-
9-Non-
10-Dec-

Question 5

What does the suffix(ending) show?

Answer 5

-the ending (suffix) shows the functional group present.

Question 6

What do you when there are more than one functional group is present?

Answer 6

-The functional group is added as a prefix - eg for halogen Flouro, Bromo,Iodo

Question 7

How are side chains(branched chains from the longest ) represented?

Answer 7

With a prefix eg - Meth
And suffix - yl

Question 8

Name the six rules when naming an Organic Compound

Answer 8

1- Functional groups and side chains are numbered according to the carbon they are attached to.
2- Numbers are seperated by commas
3- Numbers and word are seperated by hyphens(dashes).
4-If more than one of a particular functional group is present then the preffixes di-,tri-,tetra are used.
5-Carbon chain is numbered in ascending order from the end to the nearest functional group
6- If multiple prefixes are present then they presented in alphabetical order