Here is an example of an alkane.
Notice the carbon chain in RED, and that all the carbons have single bonds between them.
A chlorine atom is added in as well.

How do you name ALKANE compounds?

Step 1
Imagine that all the carbons form a road.
Then the road is 5 carbons long.
Now 5 carbons = PENT

Step 2
There are only SINGLE BONDS between the carbons.
Hence the family is ALKANE.

We combine PENT and ANE.
Hence the road name is PENTANE.

Step 3
Now imagine that the chlorine is someone’s house and you must give it an address.

Note that the chlorine is at carbon number 2.
We call it 2-chloro

We combine all the words into one big word!

Hence the name is:
2-chloropentane

• pent to say 5 carbons
• ane to say single bonds
• 2-chloro to say where the chlorine is located

Examples