Open Question
Draw structures corresponding to the following names:
c. 3,3-Dimethyl-4-phenylpentanoic acid
16. Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives
Naming Carboxylic Acids
Struggling with GOB Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Provide a common name for following molecule.
A
2,5-hydroxybutyric acid
B
α,β-dihydroxypentanoic acid
C
2,5-dihydroxybutyric acid
D
α,β-dihydroxyvaleric acid
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the longest carbon chain in the molecule. In this case, the longest chain contains five carbon atoms, which corresponds to a pentanoic acid.
Locate the carboxylic acid group (COOH) at the end of the chain, which confirms the molecule is a carboxylic acid.
Identify the positions of the hydroxyl (OH) groups on the carbon chain. In this structure, there are hydroxyl groups on the second and fifth carbon atoms.
Use the Greek letters α (alpha) and β (beta) to denote the positions of the hydroxyl groups relative to the carboxylic acid group. The α position is the carbon directly adjacent to the carboxylic acid, and the β position is the next carbon.
Combine the information to name the molecule. Since there are hydroxyl groups at the α and β positions on a pentanoic acid, the common name for this molecule is α,β-dihydroxyvaleric acid.
:55mWatch next
Master IUPAC Rules for Naming Carboxylic Acids Concept 1 with a bite sized video explanation from Jules
Start learningRelated Videos
Related Practice
Naming Carboxylic Acids practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations