Basic Concepts of Organic Chemistry

Question 1

What is organic chemistry?

Answer 1

The chemistry of carbon containing compounds

Question 2

What does the physical and chemical properties of organic compounds depend on?

Answer 2

Number and arrangement of atoms

Question 3

Why can carbon form such long chains and an infinite variety of carbon compounds?

Answer 3

It can form strong covalent bonds with itself

Question 4

What does aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, saturated and unsaturated mean?

Answer 4

• Aliphatic - C and H in long chains, branched chains or non-aromatic rings
• Alicyclic - An aliphatic compound arranged in non-aromatic rings
• Aromatic - A compound containing a benzene ring
• Saturated - Single bonds only
• Unsaturated - Double bonds, triple bonds, or aromatic rings

Question 5

What are homologous series?

Answer 5

Organic compounds with same functional group but a different no. carbon atoms

Question 6

What do homologous series feature?

Answer 6

• Same functional group
• Each successive member differs by a CH2
• Same general formula
• Similar chemical properties
• Trend in physical properties

Question 7

Give the 10 functional groups and describe what they look like and give their general formula and prefix/suffix

Answer 7

1. Alkanes - CnH2n+2 - carbon with 4 single bonds. Ane
2. Cycloalkanes - CnH2n - carbons arranged in a circle each branching of two hydrogens. cyclo-ane
3. Alkenes - double bonds between carbon atoms . CnH2n. ene
4. Haloalkanes - A halogen replacing one hydrogen in an alkane. Fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo. Add a number in front to indicate how many halogens
5. Alcohols - An OH replacing a hydrogen. Ol
6. Aldehydes - A carbon double bonded to an oxygen and single bonded to a hydrogen at end of carbon chain. Al
7. Ketones - An oxygen double bonded to carbon replaces two hydrogen atoms in middle of chain. One
8. Carboxylic acids - A carbon double bonded to an oxygen and single bonded to a hydrogen at the end of a carbon chain. Oic acid
9. Nitriles - A carbon triple bonded to a nitrogen. Enitrile
10. Amine - A carbon bonded to an NH2 and has three other bonds. Alkyl amine

Question 8

What are the 6 different types of formula?

Answer 8

1. General formula
2. Molecular formula
3. Empirical formula
4. Displayed formula - each bond is shown
5. Structural formula - each atom written individually
6. Skeletal formula - each line representing a C-C bond

Question 9

Give the 5 factors of naming an organic compound
7=hept
9=non

Answer 9

1. Longest carbon chain in molecule is used
2. Any branched carbon chains will be added as a prefix e.g. 1-methylpropane (branches in a structural formula are always in brackets)
3. Position of functional group is added as a number - use lowest possible number
4. If there are multiple functional groups in a molecule - lay them out in alphabetic order using their prefix and their position
5. Multiple of the same functional group - again in alphabetical order - use a prefix to indicate how many there are and numbers for where they are e.g. 1,3 - dimethylpropane

Question 10

How do you name an alcohol?

Answer 10

• Changing suffix to -ol, the position of the alcohol is written before the suffix e.g propan-2-ol. If there is more than one OH group, the position and number of groups are written before suffix. In a diol, an ‘e’ is added before the numbers e.g. ethane-1,2-diol. It is possible to name alcohols with attachments, just add the prefix as you would with alkenes e.g. 2-methylpropan-2-ol