Chapter 6: Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Alkanes

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary from Chapter 6 of the lecture notes on alkanes and cycloalkanes in organic chemistry.

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, an organization that establishes nomenclature rules for chemical compounds.

Acyclic Alkanes

Alkanes that do not have a cyclic structure; they are straight-chain or branched hydrocarbons.

Chain Length

The number of carbon atoms in the longest continuous chain in an alkane.

Substituents

Atoms or groups of atoms that replace hydrogen atoms in an alkane.

Common Names

Non-IUPAC names based on traditional naming conventions for certain alkanes.

Cycloalkanes

Cyclic hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds and follow the formula CnH2n.

Di-, Tri-, Tetra-

Greek prefixes used to indicate the number of identical substituents attached to the carbon chain.

Prefix + Parent + Suffix (ane)

The general format for naming alkanes using IUPAC nomenclature.

Longest Continuous Chain (LCC)

The longest chain of carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon that determines the parent alkane name.

Nomenclature

The systematic naming of chemical compounds according to rules established by IUPAC.

1,2-Dimethylcyclohexane

A cycloalkane with two methyl groups attached to the first and second carbon atoms of the cyclohexane ring.

Neopentane

A common name for 2,2-dimethylbutane, characterized by two methyl groups attached to the second carbon of the straight chain.

Isopentane

A common name for 2-methylbutane, a branched alkane with a methyl group on the second carbon.

Cyclopropane

The simplest cycloalkane, consisting of three carbon atoms in a ring structure.

Substituent Naming Order

The rule that substituents are named in alphabetical order before the parent compound name.

2-Bromo-4-chloro-3-fluoropentane

An example of a complex alkane where multiple halogen substituents are present with specified positions.

Methylcyclohexane

A cycloalkane with one methyl group attached to the cyclohexane ring.

Structural Formula

A graphic representation that shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule.