Naming Carboxylic Acids

AQA A-level ChemistryCarboxylic Acids and DerivativesLesson 2 of 16

Carboxylic acids are named with the suffix -oic acid, added to the stem for the longest carbon chain. The carbon of the COOH group is counted in the chain and is always carbon 1, so no position number is needed for the COOH group.

• HCOOH methanoic acid
• CH₃COOH ethanoic acid
• CH₃CH₂COOH propanoic acid
• CH₃CH₂CH₂COOH butanoic acid

Substituents are numbered from the COOH carbon:
• (CH₃)₂CHCOOH is 2-methylpropanoic acid
• CH₃CH(OH)COOH is 2-hydroxypropanoic acid

More in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives

• Carboxylic Acids
• Carboxylic Acids as Weak Acids
• Reaction with Carbonates
• Esterification
• Naming Esters
• Uses of Esters
• Hydrolysis of Esters
• Vegetable Oils and Fats

All 16 lessons in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives · All AQA A-level Chemistry topics