| Name | general formula | description | naming conventions | property | simplest forms or compounds | formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkanes | CnH2n+2 | saturated hydrocarbons, i.e. no double bonds | ends in -ane | oxidised easily | CH4 (methane) C2H6 (ethane) C3H8 (propane) | |
| alkenes | CnH2n | unsaturated hydrocarbons; has double bonds between at least one pair of carbon atoms | ends in -ene | can possess a functional group | C2H4 (ethylene) C3H6 (propene) | |
| alkynes | CnH2n-2 | unsaturated hydrocarbons; has a triple bond between at least one pair of carbon atoms | ends in -yne | can possess a functional group | C2H2 (ethyn) C3H4 (propyn) | |
| cyclo-alkanes | CnH2n | saturated hydrocarbon; ring-shaped alkane | ends in -ane | C3H6 (propane) C4H8 (butane) | ||
| alkyl group | -CnH2n+1 | functional group, derived from an alkane; part of a larger molecule | -CH3 (methyl) -C2H5 (ethyl) -C3H7 (propyl) | |||
| alkanols (= alcohols) | CnH2n+1OH | alkane with a hydroxyl group: at least one H atom is replaced by an OH group | ends in -ol | CH3OH (methanol) C2H5OH (ethanol, alcohol) C3H7OH (propanol) | ||
| aldehyde (=alkanal) | R-CHO | organic substance with a carbonyl group at the end: O=CH- | ends in -al | can be converted to carboxylic acids via oxidation; often pleasant aroma | CH2O (methanal, formaldehyde) C2H4O (ethanal) C3H6O (propanal) | oxidation of an alcohol |
| carbonyl group | -C=O | functional group: -C=O | ||||
| carboxyl group | -COOH or O=COH | functional group: combination carbonyl with a hydroxyl group | ||||
| hydroxyl group | -OH | functional group: -OH | ||||
| ketones (=alkanones) | R(C=O)R' | organic substance with a carbonyl group between two carbon atoms: O=C | ends in -one | C3H6O (propanone, acetone) C4H6O2 (butaandione, diacetyl) | oxidation of a secondary alcohol | |
| carboxylic acid | R-COOH | organic substance with a carboxylic group | ends in -acid | CH2O2 methanoic acid, formic acid) C2H4O2 (ethanoic acid, acetic acid) C3H6O2 (propionic acid) | oxidation of an aldehyde or an alcohol | |
| alkanoic acid | CH3(CH2)nCOOH | linear saturated carboxylic acid | ends in -acid | H-COOH (methanoic acid) CH3-COOH (ethanoic acid) | ||
| (carboxylic acid) esters | R-(C=O)-O-R' | organic substance with functional group: -(C=O)-O- | ends in -oate | often pleasant taste and/or smell | C3H6O2 (ethyl formate) C4H8O2 (ethyl acetate) C5H10O2 (isopropyl acetate) | arises (usually) from a carboxylic acid with an alcohol |
| acetal | organic compound with two ether groups on the same carbon atom | |||||
| ether | organic compound in which a central oxygen atom has a direct bond with two carbon atoms forming part of an aryl or alkyl group | ends in -ether | C4H10O (diethyl ether, ether) | |||
| aryl group | benzene ring with an organic compound | |||||
| fatty acids | long-chain carboxylic acid | |||||
| lactones | organic compound that can be seen as a cyclic ester | esterification of a hydroxycarboxylic acid | ||||
| diketones | ends in -dione | |||||
| phenols | -OH | organic compound of an aromatic hydrocarbon with a hydroxyl group | ends in -ol | resembles an alcohol but has stronger hydrogen bonds | C6H5OH (carbolic acid) |
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