Hi! I am currently at a loss at how to explain nomenclature wise that in Methyl p-toluenesulfonate, the Methyl is attached to the sulfonate's negative oxygen. I can reason why it would chemically I think, but not through nomenclature alone unless I work it as a process of deduction, which I don't like to do since it feels like guesswork.
Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I thought it this way:
Methyl p-toluenesulfonate
Methyl- is attached to the parent but here I get a little confused. Is the parent the whole of p-toluenesulfonate? I believe the parent can't be sulfonate alone since it has no carbons, but I know the parent can't be toluene alone since I've been given a "p" prefix indicating that the benzene ring can only have 2 substituents and they have to be opposite one another (the methyl in toluene and the sulfonate), but together maybe?
I am assuming that there can only be 2 substituents on the benzene ring since its giving me one of the three possible orientation parameters (o-,m-,p-) that requires there be only 2 substituents on the ring as part of the definition. Assuming the p orientation refers only to toluene's CH3-benzene bond and the sulfonate, I assume that the extra Methyl has to go wherever it can fit without messing up the p-toluenesulfonate which would be on the negative oxygen on sulfonate.
What am I missing that explains where the Methyl belongs? Does a floating group in the front of a structural formula always go attached to the last mentioned parental subgroup named or however you word it (feel free to help me with my wording)?
;___; Help.