A chemist has four organic compounds. The first is a straight-chain alkane with four carbon atoms. The second is an alkene with three carbon atoms. The third is an alcohol with five carbon atoms. The fourth is a carboxylic acid with two carbon atoms. State the name of each compound.

Cambridge International IGCSE Chemistry (0620) — 11.2 Naming organic compounds · State · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (4 marks)

1. butane
2. propene
3. pentanol
4. acetic acid

Examiner tips

  • Use the correct suffixes: –ane for alkanes, –ene for alkenes, –ol for alcohols, –oic acid for carboxylic acids.
  • Write the carbon number first (butane, propene, pentanol, acetic acid).
  • Check spelling of ‘acetic’ and ‘pentanol’ to avoid loss of marks.

Common mistakes

  • Misspelling ‘acetic’ as ‘acetate’ or ‘acetic acid’ as ‘acetic acidic’.
  • Using the wrong suffix such as –ol for the alkane or –ene for the alcohol.

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Names the four-carbon alkane correctly
  2. Names the three-carbon alkene correctly
  3. Names the five-carbon alcohol correctly
  4. Names the two-carbon carboxylic acid correctly

Key terms in this question

alkane · alkene · alcohol · carboxylic acid

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