Structure of the Name
The name of an alkane consists of two parts, a prefix indicating the number of carbons in the chain followed by the suffix -ane which characterizes this type of compounds (meth-ane, eth-ane, prop-ane, but-ane).
Choosing the Principal Chain
Find and name the longest chain in the molecule. If there are two or more chains of equal length, the principal chain will be the one with the greatest number of substituents.
3-Ethyl-2,6-dimethylheptane
Numeration of the Principal Chain
Number the carbons in the longest chain starting from the end closest to a substituent. If there are two substituents at equal distances from the ends, alphabetical order is used to decide how to number.
4,5-Diethyl-2,2,7,8-tetramethyldecane
Formation of the Name
The name of the alkane is written starting with the substituents in alphabetical order with their respective locators, followed by the name of the principal chain. If a molecule contains more than one substituent of the same type, its name is preceded by the prefixes di, tri, tetra, etc.
6-(1,2-dimethylpropyl)-3-ethyl-4-methyldecane