How can you identify an amide among a group of organic compounds based on their structure and naming conventions?
An amide is identified as a carboxylic acid derivative where the carbonyl group (C=O) is directly bonded to a nitrogen atom (N). In naming, amides have names ending with 'amide,' and any alkyl groups attached to the nitrogen are indicated with 'N-' or 'N,N-' prefixes. Unlike esters, amides can have multiple substituents on the nitrogen. Look for a structure with a carbonyl group attached to a nitrogen, and a name ending in 'amide.'