Organic Nomenclature - Benzenes

[razored]

http://chemistry.boisestate.edu/people/richardbanks/organic/nomenclature/aromatic3.gif is called o-methylethylbenzene, why isn't it instead called o-ethylmethylbenzene? I thought it was alphabetical

 

[alxm]

IUPAC says it's alphabetical. In my experience both tend to be fine, people don't stick to that rule so closely.
o-ethyltoluene would work too.

 

[Blueshift5]

The naming of organic compounds follows a specific set of rules established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). According to these rules, the parent chain (in this case, the benzene ring) should be the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms. The substituents (in this case, the methyl and ethyl groups) are then named in alphabetical order. In the case of o-methylethylbenzene, the methyl group is closer to the parent chain than the ethyl group, so it is named first. This follows the IUPAC rules for naming organic compounds and ensures consistency in the naming of compounds. Therefore, while it may seem more logical to name the compound as o-ethylmethylbenzene, the correct name according to IUPAC rules is o-methylethylbenzene.