What is the suffix used when naming carboxylic acids?

The suffix used for naming carboxylic acids is “-oic acid.” Carboxylic acids are organic compounds that contain a carboxyl group (-COOH), and their nomenclature is based on the longest carbon chain that includes this functional group.

When naming a carboxylic acid, the base name of the hydrocarbon chain is followed by the “-oic acid” suffix, which signifies the presence of the carboxyl group. For example, if the longest chain consists of one carbon, the name would be "methanoic acid" (commonly known as formic acid), and if there are two carbons, it is referred to as "ethanoic acid" (commonly known as acetic acid).

This structure differs from other functional groups, such as aldehydes or ketones, which use different suffixes like "al" for aldehydes and "one" for ketones. The unique and specific suffix for carboxylic acids emphasizes their distinctive characteristics and plays a crucial role in their identification and classification in organic chemistry.