Get premium membership and access revision papers with marking schemes, video lessons and live classes.
  OR
Processing. Please wait.

 Form 4 Chemistry: Organic Chemistry II Online Lessons

Meaning and nomenclature of alkanoic acids with examples

 (9m 23s)
776 Views     SHARE

Download as pdf file

Answer Text:
ALKANOIC ACIDS (CARBOXYLIC ACIDS)
- Also called organic acids and form a homologous series with a general formula of #CnH_(2n + 1)COOH#; in which case n = (no. of carbon atoms - 1)
- Members differ from each other by an additional #CH_2# group.
- Their functional group is the carboxylic group (-COOH) which is attached to the alkyl group.
- Graphical representation of carboxyl group i.e O-C-OH;
Note: All carboxylic acids have the – COOH as the functional group but alkanoic acids are strictly alkanoic acids derived from alkanes Nomenclature of alkanoic acids
- The ending of the corresponding alkane is replaced by 'oic acid’ . Examples;
- Methane to methanoic acid.
- Ethane to ethanoic acid.
- They are named as if they are derived from alkanes through replacement of one of the hydrogen atoms by the -COOH group.
Note: -Unlike alkanols the functional group (COOH) in alkanoic acids can only be at the end of the carbon chain.
- The C in the COOH is always given the first position, while the substituents are given locants (numbers in reference to the first position).


|