For example, formic acid (HCOOH) was first obtained from red ants
(Latin: formica means ant), acetic acid (CH3COOH) from vinegar (Latin:
acetum, means vinegar), butyric acid (CH3CH2CH2COOH) from rancid
butter (Latin: butyrum, means butter) In the IUPAC system, aliphatic carboxylic acids are named by
replacing the ending –e in the name of the corresponding alkane with –
oic acid In numbering the carbon chain, the carboxylic carbon is
numbered one For naming compounds containing more than one
carboxyl group, the alkyl chain leaving carboxyl groups is numbered
and the number of carboxyl groups is indicated by adding the
multiplicative prefix, dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylic acid, etc