ABSTRACT
All organic compounds are made up of at least carbon and hydrogen. The increasingly large number of organic compounds identified with each passing day, together with the fact that many of these compounds are isomers of other compounds, requires that a systematic nomenclature system be developed. Just as each distinct compound has a unique molecular structure which can be designated by a structural formula, each compound must be given a unique name. The IUPAC nomenclature system is a set of logical rules devised and used by organic chemists to circumvent problems caused by arbitrary nomenclature. The IUPAC system requires first that have names for simple unbranched chains, and second that have names for simple alkyl groups that may be attached to the chains. A cycloalkane is a hydrocarbon with only single bonds between carbon atoms arranged in a ring; general formula, CnH2n. An alkene is a hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond; general formula, CnH2n.
