Clarifying organic nomenclature

Naming organic chemical compounds can appear to be an impenetrable challenge for chemistry students. While IUPAC nomenclature of organic molecules is a systematic process, how the rules are applied can be confusing. Even very simple structures can be assigned multiple, and often very different, names (for example, dichloromethane/methylene chloride). Knowing which is formally correct requires understanding the nuances of priority assignment. For students who are getting to grips with how atoms can bond together and the properties of functional groups, the additional complexity of how we name those arrangements can be overwhelming.

If you want to help your students with naming organic compounds, the Organic Nomenclature website has clear guides to assigning names and lets students jump right into quizzes to test their knowledge.