How are IUPAC names for carboxylic acids formed from alkane names?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

To determine the IUPAC name for a carboxylic acid, you identify the longest carbon chain that includes the carboxyl group. You then take the name of the corresponding parent alkane, drop the final "-e," and append the suffix "-oic" followed by the word "acid."1

The carbon atom within the carboxyl group is always designated as carbon 1, so it does not require a specific number in the name. For instance, a three-carbon chain is derived from propane and is named propanoic acid. If the chain contains a carbon-carbon double bond, the suffix is modified to "-enoic acid," and a number is included to specify the location of the double bond.1