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Discussion

PLease I need help with BASIC organic chemistry

My instructor gave us a list yesterday and ssaid to know by Wed. The list is :

Meth

Eth

Prop

But

Pent

Hex

Hept

Oct

Non

Dec

and then:

Ane

Ene

Yne

Andl

Anal

Anone

Anoic acid

Yl amine

I do not have any idea what this pertains to and he did not tell us. Byu the way, there is no written book this class is lecture only! So i need some help

April

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The first list is of prefixes - the beginnings of nouns (chemical names, in this case) and the second suffixes - endings.

example: ETH yl ENE.

These are combinations of elements that create certain chemical compounds common in chemistry. There are also some prefixes that pertain to numbers - for example, OCT means "eight" so OCT-ane means eight whatever ane is.

Does this help?

  • Experts

this is an exercise in organic chemistry naming conventions. suesquatch is correct. the first list are prefixes. the second list are suffixes. each of these prefixes and suffixes are, however, chemical molecules that bind together to create organic compounds. you are being introduced to organic chemistry terminology with this exercise. every item from the first list can be combined to form an organic chemical with something from the second list.

you will find the answers to some of the items on your list here at this website;

http://chemistry.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3a%2f%2fwww.rjclarkson.demon.co.uk%2f . click on the "site map" link. an outline page comes up. scroll down to organic chemistry. click on this, as it is an active link to get to the information that discuses how the basic organic compounds are named. for meth-, eth-, prop-, but-, pent-, hex-, hept-, oct-, non-, and dec- are prefixes that refer to the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. this article starts with the alkanes, the simplest of the organic compounds and starts to show you how these prefixes are combined with a suffix to name an organic compound. -ane, -ene, -yne, -andl, -anal (or is that -anol), and -anone are suffixes that are combined with the above prefixes. you can identify the chemical structure of these simple organic compounds by the way they are named.

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/conventions/names.html#top - a very nice webpage on how organic compounds are named.

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/conventions/names2.html#top - the naming of more organic compounds from the same site

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/conventions/names3.html#top - how the aromatics are named (this is for later on in your course)

http://www.chem.vt.edu/rvgs/act/notes/organic.html - a brief introduction to organic chemistry which is from this website: http://regentsprep.org/regents/chem/onlineresources/index.cfm which you might want to bookmark and use as a resource for this course.

although it sounds like you don't have a required textbook for this course, don't you think that it would be a real good idea to get one?

Each of these prefixes and suffixes are, however, chemical molecules that bind together to create organic compounds.

Molecules! THAT'S the word!

Thanks, Daytonite.

Also, the prefixes are already in the proper numbered order:

meth = 1

eth = 2

prop = 3

but = 4... etc... dec = 10

I agree about getting a textbook even if one is not required for the course - I used this textbook for an introductory chemistry class and then for an introductory organic/biochem class and it covers both introductory inorganic and organic chemistry: Amazon.com: Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry with The Chemistry Place CD-ROM (9th Edition): Books: Karen C. Timberlake

Also, the prefixes are already in the proper numbered order:

meth = 1

eth = 2

prop = 3

but = 4... etc... dec = 10

teebee is correct, these prefixes are already in the proper order but it might be important to recognize that the prefixes stand for the number of CARBON atoms in the molecule:

for example, a molecule such as CH4 is called methane (because it has 1 carbon atom) while C2H6 is called ethane (because it has two). It may help if you initially think of the hydrogen atoms as 'space fillers', not as important in the naming of organic molecules as other types of atoms that may be present.

the suffixes listed can be combined with the prefixes to denote things such as types of bonds, basic categories of organic molecules etc.

Have fun with organic : ) after you get a good grip on the initial 2 or 3 chapters it will not seem so bad : P

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