Question

other name carboxlic acid

Answer 1

Carboxylic acid naming

AboutTranscript

Carboxylic acids are named following IUPAC nomenclature. In general, carboxylic acids are named based on the number of carbons in the longest continuous chain, including the carboxyl group (-COOH). The suffix of this carbon chain is then replaced, as carboxylic acids always end in "-oic acid." An example is CH2O2, in which the longest continuous carbon chain is a methane. The -ane suffix is replaced, giving us "methanoic acid.". Created by Sal Khan.

Answer 2

Ever wondered why ‘formic acid’ is so-called? Or montanic acid? Or melissic acid? This handy A3 poster shows you the Latin/Greek/Persian origins of each of the carboxylic acids’ common names from ‘formic acid’ (no. 1) to ‘hexatriacontylic acid’ (no. 36). Each acid comes with a cute graphical description of where its name comes from.

There are some interesting origin stories behind each of these names. Formic acid, for example, is found in insect stings (hence the name). Palmitic acid is found in palm trees (hence the name), and myristic acid is found in nutmeg.

Three of the carboxylic acids are named after goats: caproic acid, caprylic acid and capric acid. Together, these three molecules comprise 15% of the fatty acids found in goats’ milk, and many reports also suggest that they smell ‘goat-like’!

Many of the odd-numbered higher carboxylic acids are rarer in nature and thus didn’t earn a common name until recently. Undecylic acid, for example, which has eleven carbon atoms in its backbone, is named simply after the Greek word for ‘eleven’.