
DigitalDan's Scientific Website
Chemistry Crib Sheet 4 - Organic Compounds (1)
Carbon Atoms | Prefix | Example |
1 | meth | methane |
2 | eth | ethane |
3 | prop | propane |
4 | but | butane |
5 | pent | pentane |
6 | hex | hexane |
7 | hept | heptane |
8 | oct | octane |
9 | non | nonane |
10 | dec | decane |
If more than 10 carbons in chain use prefix below, followed by decade name | ||
0 | 10 carbons = decane | |
1 | un | 11 carbons = undecane |
2 | do | dodecane |
3 | tri | tridecane |
4 | tetra | tetradecane |
5 | penta | pentadecane |
6 | hexa | hexadecane |
7 | hepta | heptadecane |
8 | octa | octadecane |
9 | nona | nonadecane |
Prefixes for longer carbon chains | ||
20 | icos | icosane |
21 | unicos | unicosane |
22 | doicos | doicosane |
30 | triacont | triacontane |
40 | tetracont | tetracontane |
50 | pentacont | pentacontane |
60 | hexacont | hexacontane |
70 | heptacont | heptacontane |
80 | octacont | octacontane |
90 | nonacont | nonacontane |
100 | hect | hectane |
Organic Compounds (2)
Group | Description | Suffix /Prefix | Example |
Alcohols | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more OH attached | anol |
butanol
H H H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-OH | | | | H H H H |
Alkanes | normal chain of carbon atoms with no multiple bonds | ane |
Butane
H H H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-H | | | | H H H H |
Alkenes | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more double bonds | ene |
Butene
H H H | | | H-C-C=C-C-H | | | H H H |
Alkynes | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more triple bonds | yne |
Butyne
H H | | H-C-C≡C-C-H | | H H |
Amides | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 more =O,NH2 | anamine |
butanamide
H H H | | | H-C-C-C-C-NH2 | | | ‖ H H H O |
Amines | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more NH2 | anamine |
butanamine
H H H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-NH2 | | | | H H H H |
Bromides | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more bromine attached | fluoro |
bromobutane
H H H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-Br | | | | H H H H |
Carboxylic Acids | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more =O,OH attached | anoic acid | butanoic acid
H H H | | | H-C-C-C-C=O | | | | H H H OH |
Chorides | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more chlorine attached | fluoro |
chlorobutane
H H H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-Cl | | | | H H H H |
Cyanides | normal chain of carbon atoms with a ≡N | fluoro |
cyanobutane
H H H | | | H-C-C-C-C≡N | | | H H H |
Cyclic | Contains a ring of carbon atoms | cyclo |
cyclohexane
H H \ / C-C / \ H-C C-H \ / C-C / \ H H |
Esters | normal chain of carbon atoms with an Oxgen in the main chain and a =O off linked carbon | ...yl... | methylethane Note this has 2 carbon chains, methane and ethane, linked by the yl. H H | | H-C-O-C-C-H | ‖ | H O H |
Ethers | normal chain of carbon atoms with an Oxgen in the main chain | ...oxy... | methoxyethane Note this has 2 carbon chains, methane and ethane, linked by the oxy. H H H | | | H-C-O-C-C-H | | | H H H |
Fluorides | normal chain of carbon atoms with 1 or more fluorine attached | fluoro |
fluorobutane
H F H H | | | | H-C-C-C-C-H | | | | H H H H |
Ketones | normal chain of carbon atoms with double bonded O off the main chain | anone | butanone
H H O H | | ‖ | H-C-C-C-C-H | | | H H H |
DigitalDan.uk is part of the DigitalDan.co.uk group