CH3-COOH-CH-COO-
3-hydroxybutyrate or β-hydroxybutyrate
I have no idea why this is named what it is named.
I know that the COO on the end is the most oxidized. I don't understand why a 3 is being used. Would it not be 4 b/c there are 4 carbons. I'm just overall confused with how this is named.
I think you made a typo when you typd the question. I think what you meant to type is
CH3-CHOH-CH2-COO^- and is shown at this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-Hydroxybutyric_acid
Start counting with the functional group, COOH in this case). C of COOH is carbon 1, the CH2 to the left is C2 and the C of CHOH is 3; therefore, this is 3-hydroxy etc. Yes there are four carbons; however, the OH is attached to C3 and not to C4.The 3 is to tell you that the OH is on C3 and not some other C.
Where is the butyrate coming form. I now understand the 3-hydroxy aspect of it but how is the end named? Thanks Dr.Bob
The compound you provided, CH3-COOH-CH-COO-, is a carboxylic acid. It contains four carbon atoms in total. Let's break down the naming of this compound step by step.
First, let's identify the longest carbon chain. In this case, there are four carbons in the chain, so it is called butyric acid.
Next, let's identify any functional groups or substituents attached to the main carbon chain. In this case, there is a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to the third carbon. This is why it is called 3-hydroxybutyric acid.
Now, let's understand the β-notation. The β-notation is used to indicate the position of the functional group relative to the carboxylic acid group. In simple terms, it tells you where the functional group (in this case, the hydroxyl group) is located with respect to the carboxylic acid group.
In this case, the carboxylic acid group (COOH) is located at the end of the carbon chain, and the hydroxyl group (-OH) is bonded to the carbon next to it. Since the hydroxyl group is attached to the second-to-last carbon, it is referred to as β-hydroxybutyric acid.
By using the β-notation, it allows chemists to differentiate between different isomers with the same molecular formula but with different functional groups in different positions.