Alkane Nomenclature

Tutorial: Naming Organic Molecules Using Prefix-Parent-Postfix

Organic molecules are named systematically using the IUPAC nomenclature system. The name of an organic molecule is typically made up of three parts:

  1. Prefix: Indicates substituents (groups attached to the main chain) and their positions.

  2. Parent: Indicates the longest carbon chain or ring (the main structure of the molecule).

  3. Postfix: Indicates the functional group (the type of molecule, e.g., alkane, alkene, alcohol).

Let’s break this down step by step with examples.