................CH3

..................|
CH3-CH2-N-CH2-CH2-CH3

Hoping this turns out okay, but it's an amine and branching off of the N (on top) is a CH3.
The name is N-ethyl-N-methylpropanamine but I don't get why.

How do you know which ones to treat as branches? I mean the CH3-CH2- to the left of the N is treated as a branch, so: "N-ethyl" and then the CH3 branching off on top of the N is N-methyl, but then how come the C's to the right is propanamine? How do you know that one is the root, and it's not N-propyl and then like ethanamine or something?

Also, if there's branches coming off of it, what do you do?

For example, if the left part had a branch:
CH3
...|
CH3-CH2-N

Or would that just be extending the branch? And it would make the "N-ethyl" into "N-propyl"?

Sorry, I keep thinking of more stuff... Complications always magically arise right before an evaluation and never while I can actually ask my teacher :(

Can there be more than three in a branch? So far we've only done ones with methyl, ethyl, and propyl, but is there a "butyl"? And then would the next be "pentyl"..?

prioritize the longest chain as the parent/root. so the chain on the right has 3 carbons (propane). the other two are shortest and so they are branches.

yes there are butyl, pentyl and so on. these are called alkyl groups or side chains. they only be side chains if they are attached to the longer carbon skeleton.

To determine the correct names for compounds in organic chemistry, you need to follow a set of rules prescribed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Let's break down the steps for naming the given compound, N-ethyl-N-methylpropanamine.

Step 1: Identify the longest carbon chain containing the functional group.
In this case, we look for the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms that includes the nitrogen (N) atom. The chain starts at the N atom and extends to the right, consisting of five carbon atoms: CH3-CH2-N-CH2-CH2-CH3. This chain is called propane, as it contains three carbon atoms.

Step 2: Identify and number any side chains.
Next, we look for branches or side chains attached to the main carbon chain. In this compound, there are two side chains: CH3-CH2- and CH3-. The side chain CH3-CH2- is attached to the second carbon atom (numbered from the nitrogen), so it becomes N-ethyl. The side chain CH3- is attached directly to the nitrogen atom, so it becomes N-methyl.

Step 3: Combine the names of the side chains and the main chain.
Now we combine the names of the side chains and the main chain. The order of side chains is determined by alphabetical order. In this case, "ethyl" comes before "methyl," so the proper name is N-ethyl-N-methylpropanamine.

Regarding your other question, why the compound isn't named N-propyl and instead is N-methylpropanamine: The primary guideline is to choose the longest chain containing the functional group (in this case, the nitrogen). Thus, the naming priority is given to the propanamine chain as the longest chain containing the functional group. The side chains are treated as branches of this main chain. So, instead of naming it N-propyl, we use N-methyl as a side chain because it is attached directly to the nitrogen atom.

Remember, when naming organic compounds, it's crucial to follow the IUPAC guidelines to ensure consistency and clarity.