1.1 IUPAC Naming Conventions

LEARNING GOALS

After   Chapter 1.1,    you will    be  able    to:

Identify    the parent  carbon  chain   in  a   complex molecule

Describe    how numbers are integrated  into    chemical    nomenclature

Apply   the 5   steps   of  IUPAC   nomenclature    and name    a   molecule:

Nomenclature is one of the most important prerequisites for answering organic chemistry questions
on Test Day; if you don’t know which chemical compound the question is asking about, it’s hard to
get the answer right! That’s why it’s so important to understand both IUPAC and common
nomenclature. Once you have a handle on these naming systems, you can easily translate question
stems and focus on finding the correct answer. Let’s begin by examining IUPAC naming conventions
before we highlight specific compounds and functional groups.

MCAT EXPERTISE

Nomenclature    is  often   tested  on  the MCAT    by  providing   the question    stem    and the answer

choices in  different   formats.    For example,    the question    stem    will    give    you the IUPAC   name    of

the reactant,   and the answer  choices will    show    product structures—leaving  you to  figure  out

both    the structure   of  the reactant    and the reaction    taking  place.