Naming Organic Molecules

[Amber_Carlton_3D]

Does anyone have any tips for naming complex organic compounds/molecules? Do we just need to memorize them or is there a better method? Thank you in advance!

[Chem_Mod]

I will cover this in class in detail this week.

First learn the names for the first ten alkanes. This is the foundation for all organic naming.

[Linh Ngau 1F]

I've practically had little to no exposure to naming organic molecules (yay HS Chem!), but what I did find helpful was looking up quick videos. Whenever you have free time just before watching YT subscriptions, try watching a quick 10- minute video! This way, you also get exposure to practice naming organic molecules & practice makes perfect :) Hope this helps! Good luck with everything!

[Shelby Slaughter 3D]

The Introduction to Organic Chemistry text keeps referring to carbocations in Chapter 4. What exactly are these?

[Julia Nakamura 2D]

A carbocation is molecule where the carbon atom only has three bonds, thus giving it a positive charge. They are usually unstable because they do not have eight electrons (they only have six), and therefore do not satisfy the octet rule.

[ribal_daniel_3H]

http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/GenChemReferen ... rules.html
This website is really helpful!

[904826427]

Does anyone have any tips for naming complex organic compounds/molecules? Do we just need to memorize them or is there a better method? Thank you in advance!

Well, the first four types of alkyl groups (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl) are all you really need to learn to memorize right now because the remaining ones from pentyl to decyl all use latin/ greek prefixes so you already know them and what they mean.

[Caleb Lim 2M]

How should we include names of halogens when naming the whole molecule (I know the name should include carbon and halogens only)

[Nasir_Ahmed]

How should we include names of halogens when naming the whole molecule (I know the name should include carbon and halogens only)

I'm not sure what you mean by including halogens. I was under the impression that we're only dealing with hydrocarbons, and for those you really only need to know the first 10 in the course reader for our purposes.

[Navarro_Bree_1D]

To answer your question, Caleb, you treat halogens the same way you treat substituents on an alkane chain/ring. The halogen has equal rank as any other substituent.

Ex//: CH3CHClCH2CH3 --> 2-chlorobutane

(More examples on page 93 of the Course Reader)

[marinarosebrock]

On Page 7 of the Introduction to organic chemistry textbook, would the same name for 3-Ethyl-3,5-dimethylheptane if the numbering had started from the opposite side of the molecule?
(shown in the first diagram on the page)

[Chem_Mod]

No, because numbering the chain in the opposite way would place the ethyl group on carbon 5. That would be a higher number so you have the number the chain the way it is.

[Shark]

which youtube channels would you recommend?

[veeksha25]

The Khan Academy ones helped me a lot, especially when it came to naming alkenes and alkynes with iso- and sec- etc. prefixes, it was really helpful.

[Kaitlin_Ryan_ 3K]

Any tips on remembering the structures for the functional groups?

[Yesenia Munoz 1G]

I also agree that Kahn Academy is very helpful. I also made flashcards on quizlet to help me memorize the different names.

[Cris-1C]

Flash cards are the most helpful for me, although sometimes it just helps to constantly copy the name and formation onto a standard sheet of paper.

[veeksha25]

When you name cyclohexenes, can you go clockwise or counterclockwise in numbering carbons? And also, what role does the double bond play in numbering?

[204177206]

I'm a little confused on the numbering. Is it that the functional groups takes priority and therefore have the smallest number, followed by the double bond, and then the substituents would have the largest number?

[404757006]

when does the number in between the prefix and suffix in naming a molecule occur?

[Moura Girgis 1F]

which youtube channels would you recommend?

Khan Academy and The Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube have been really helpful for me!