3.6.1

Nomenclature

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Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry

Organic nomenclature follows rules from IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry).

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Stems

  • In organic nomenclature, the stem of the name notates the number of carbon atoms in the longest chain.
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Suffixes

  • Many functional groups can be shown in the name of the compound by adding a suffix.
  • To know which suffix needs to be added, we need to consider the class of the organic molecule, which is determined by the functional group present.
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Suffixes cont.

  • The position of the functional group is notated in the name by placing a number between hyphens.
  • Some functional groups can only be placed in one place and therefore there is no need to give a number to show its position.
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Prefixes

  • Branching of the main carbon chain and additions of some functional groups are notated in the structure’s name by adding a prefix.
  • The longest carbon chain can be branched and this can be accommodated in the name by using an alkyl prefix.
  • Examples of some molecules with alkyl branches are shown above.
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Prefixes cont.

  • Halogen substituents in halogenoalkanes are also shown by a prefix in the name of the organic compound.

Jump to other topics

1Structure - Models of the Particulate of Matter

2Structure - Models of Bonding & Structure

3Structure - Classification of Matter

3.1The Periodic Table: Classification of Elements

3.2Periodic Trends

3.3Group 1 Alkali Metals

3.4Halogens

3.5Noble gases, group 18

3.6Functional Groups: Classification of Organic

3.7Functional Group Chemistry

3.8Alkanes

3.9Alcohols

3.10Halogenoalkanes

4Reactivity - What Drives Chemical Reaction?

5Reactivity - How Much, How Fast & How Far?

6Reactivity - The Mechanisms of Chemical Change

7Measurement, Data Processing & Analysis

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