1. How to name organic compounds
Class
Structure
Example
Structural
General
Alkanes
C-C
Ethane
CnH2n+2
Alkenes
C=C
Ethene
CnH2n
Arenes
Benzene
N/A
Alcohols
-OH
Ethanol
CnH2n+1OH
Halogenoalkanes
-X (Cl, Br, F, I)
Chloromethane
How to name organic compounds
There are a list of rules which you must follow when attempting to name organic compounds. These are as follows:-
1) Number of carbon atoms in longest chain provides the stem of name
2) Branched-chain alkanes are named in similar way. Stem names are used with the suffix –yl e.g. CH3 would be methyl
3) Each side chain must be included in the name. If there are several
identical side-chains, the name is prefixed by di-, tri- etc.
4) Where different alkyl groups are present, they are placed in alphabetical order as in 3-ethyl-2-methylpentane

2. How to name organic compounds
5) Compounds containing a ring of carbon atoms are prefixed by cyclo-. Cyclohexane is represented as:
Displayed
formula
Skeletal
formula
6) Hydrocarbons may contain alkene or arene groups. These are represented as follows:
Position of double bond is given by number of carbon it is attached to.

3. How to name organic compounds
7) The simplest arene is benzene. When one alkyl group is attached to a benzene ring, a number is not needed. Two or more will require a number.
CH3
methylbenzene
H3C
CH3
1,4-dimethylbenzene
8) Halogeno compounds are named in the same way as alkyl-substituted alkanes or arenes e.g. 2-bromobutane
9) Alpihatic alcohols and ketones are named in a similar way to alkenes e.g. propan-1-ol, pentan-3-one

4. How to name organic compounds
10) Aliphatic aldehydes and carboxylic acid groups are at the end of a chain, so they do not need a number.
11) Amines are named using the alkyl- or aryl- prefix followed by –amine. Hence CH3CH2NH2 is ethylamine
Question:
Represent the compound 2-chloro-2-methylpropane by means of the following types of formulae:
displayed, b) structural, c) skeletal, d) molecular,
e) three-dimensional

5. How to name organic compounds
CH3C(CH3)ClCH3
C4H9Cl

6. How to name organic compounds
Name the following compounds: E
A CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 B F C D G

7. How to name organic compounds
Draw structural formuale for the following compounds:
(i) propanal; (ii) propan-2-ol; (iii) 2-methylpentan-3-one; (iv) propylamine
Draw displayed formulae for the following compunds:
2,2,3-trimethylbutane; (b) cyclobutane;
(c) 3-ethylpent-2-ene; (d) ethylbenzene