Name the given Phenol organic molecule

[danago]

Hi.
In my chemistry book, one of the questions was to name the given organic molecule. What was given was a benzene ring with a single -OH functional group attached. Immediately, i recognized it as phenol, but i also said its conventional name was benzenol.

When i turned to the answers, they said it was either phenol or hydroxybenzene.

My question is this: why should it be named with the prefix for alcohol functional groups, rather than the suffix, since it is the only functional group present?

Thanks in advance,
Dan.

 

[chemisttree]

Cyclic compounds like cyclohexane or benzene can be named as the parent hydrocarbon. Hydroxy benzene is the name for phenol just as methyl benzene is the name for toluene.

 

[danago]

Oh, ok. Thanks for that

So a cyclohexane with an -OH functional group would be called hydroxycyclohexane?

 

[chemisttree]

It could be. Or it could be called by its other name, cyclohexanol. Welcome to the mad, mad, mad world of organic chemistry.

 

[danago]

Ahh mad indeed.
So does it just come down to the conventions my teacher wants me to use?

 

[chemisttree]

Welll, it is a little better organized than that. Your teacher would want to teach you what you might encounter out 'there'.