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Ch.21 - Organic Chemistry
Chapter 21, Problem 79c

Name each carboxylic acid or ester.
Structural formula of a carboxylic acid for naming practice in organic chemistry.

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1
Identify the longest carbon chain that includes the carboxyl group (-COOH).
Number the carbon chain starting from the carboxyl carbon as carbon 1.
Identify and name any substituents attached to the main carbon chain.
Combine the names of the substituents with the base name of the carboxylic acid, ensuring to include the position numbers of the substituents.
Write the full name of the carboxylic acid, ensuring proper IUPAC nomenclature.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Carboxylic Acids

Carboxylic acids are organic compounds characterized by the presence of one or more carboxyl groups (-COOH). This functional group consists of a carbonyl (C=O) and a hydroxyl (OH) group, making carboxylic acids acidic due to their ability to donate protons (H+) in solution. They are commonly named by identifying the longest carbon chain containing the carboxyl group and adding the suffix '-oic acid' to the root name.
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Esters

Esters are derived from carboxylic acids and alcohols, formed through a condensation reaction that releases water. They are characterized by the functional group -COO-, where a carbonyl group is bonded to an oxygen atom that is also connected to another carbon chain. Esters are typically named by identifying the alkyl group from the alcohol and the acid part, resulting in a name that ends with '-oate'.
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IUPAC Nomenclature

IUPAC nomenclature is a systematic method for naming organic chemical compounds. It provides rules for identifying the structure of a compound based on its molecular formula and functional groups. For carboxylic acids and esters, the longest carbon chain is identified, and specific suffixes or prefixes are used to denote the functional groups present, ensuring that each compound has a unique and descriptive name.
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