Do IUPAC names for haloalkanes require numerals? I'm new one of chemistry. I want to know the IUPAC nomenclature rules. That is if we write alkane with halogen must be indicate the numerals? Are the following names right or wrong?


chloropentane
trichloropentane
You must use the numbers unless your substance in a mixture of isomers; otherwise your molecules structure is ambiguous.  For chloropentane this name alone does not specify weather the chlorine is on the 1,2,or 3 position which is important as the position of a chlorine can dictated physical and chemical properties as well as reactivity in various organic reactions.  Same is true for trichloropentane.  there are there chlorine but without numbers I dont know if the chlorines are all on one carbon, if they are in the 2,3,4; 1,3,5; 1,2,5; 1,2,3; 2,3,5; 1,1,2; 1,3,3 1,1,4 positions or any of the many more possibilities.  all of these molecules give different products in various organic reactions.

Again though if is a mixture of isomers (as is typical of hexane solvents) it is not important to give number