Alkanes

RULE #1 - The name for an alkane with an unbranched chain of carbon atoms consists of a prefix
showing the number of carbon atoms in the parent chain and the suffix –ane.

RULE #2 - For branched-chain alkanes, take the longest chain of carbon atoms as the parent chain and its
name becomes the root name.

RULE #3 - Give each substituent on the parent chain a name and a number. The number shows the
carbon atom of the parent chain to which the substituent is bonded. Use a hyphen to connect the
number to the name.

RULE #4- If there is one substituent, number the parent chain from the end that gives the substituent
the lower number

RULE #5- If the same substituent occurs more than once, number the parent chain from the end that
gives the lower number to the substituent encountered first. Indicate the number of times the
substituent occurs by a prefix di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and so on. Use a comma to separate position
numbers.

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RULE #6 -if there are two or more different substituents, list them in alphabetical order and number the
chain from the end that gives the lower number to the substituent encountered first. If there are
different substituents in equivalent positions on opposite ends of the parent chain, give the substituent
of lower alphabetical order the lower number.

RULE #7 -Do not include the prefixes di-, tri-, tetra-, and so, on or the hyphenated prefixes sec- and tert-
in alphabetizing. Alphabetize the names of substituents first and then insert these prefixes. In the
following example, the alphabetizing parts are ethyl and methyl, not ethyl and dimethyl.

Naming Cycloalkanes

• To name a cycloalkane, prefix the name of the correspondin;

g open chain alkane with cyclo- and name each substituent on the ring.

• If there is only one substituent on the ring, there is no need to give it a location number.

If there are two or more substituents, number the ring beginning with the substituent of lower
alphabetical order
 Alkenes

1. Find the longest carbon chain that includes the double bond. Indicate the length of the parent chain
by using a prefix that tells the number of carbon atoms in it and the suffix -ene to show that it is an
alkene.

2. Number the chain from the end that gives the lower set of numbers to the carbon atoms of the
double bond. Designate the position of the double bond by the number of its first carbon.

3. Branched alkenes are named in a manner similar to alkanes; substituent groups are located and
named

Cycloalkenes

In naming cycloalkenes, number the carbon atoms of the ring double bond 1 and 2 in the direction that
gives the substituent encountered first the lower number. It is not necessary to use a location number
for the carbons of the double bond because according to the IUPAC system of nomenclature, they will
always be 1 and 2. Number substituents and list them in alphabetical order.

Alkynes

1. Find the longest carbon chain that includes the triple bond. Indicate the length of the parent chain by
using a prefix that tells the number of carbon atoms in it and the suffix -yne to show that it is an alkyne.

2. Number the chain from the end that gives the lower set of numbers to the carbon atoms of the triple
bond. Designate the position of the triple bond by the number of its first carbon.

3. Branched alkynes are named in a manner similar to alkanes; substituent groups are located and
named

The key to the IUPAC name of an alkyne is the ending -yne, which shows the presence of a carbon–
carbon triple bond. Thus, HC {CH is ethyne (or acetylene) and CH3C{CH is propyne. In higher alkynes,
number the longest carbon chain that contains the triple bond from the end that gives the lower set of
numbers to the triply bonded carbons. Indicate the location of the triple bond by the number of its first
carbon atom.