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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: hsolo#18 on October 08, 2007, 09:35:07 PM

Title: Naming Carboxylic Acids with Double Bonds
Post by: hsolo#18 on October 08, 2007, 09:35:07 PM

how would you name

CH2=CH-COOH

there is no explanation in my book

Title: Re: Naming Carboxylic Acids with Double Bonds
Post by: Yggdrasil on October 08, 2007, 11:02:43 PM

Ok, so this is a three carbon organic acid, so the base name of the compound is propanoic acid.  Since the carboxylic acid group has a higher priority than a double bond, the carboxylic carbon is named carbon 1.  Since the double bond involves carbons 2 and 3, the double bond will be labeled as being on position 2 (the lower of the two numbers).  Putting this all together we get:

2-propenoic acid

(note, its common name is acrylic acid)