Basics On OChem Flashcards
What is organic chemistry?
The study of carbon-containing compounds and their structures, properties, and reactions.
What is the unique property of carbon that makes it central to organic chemistry?
Carbon can form four covalent bonds, allowing it to create complex chains, rings, and 3D structures.
What are hydrocarbons?
Organic compounds composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
What are the four main types of hydrocarbons?
Alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
What is the general formula for alkanes?
C_nH_{2n+2}, where n is the number of carbon atoms.
What distinguishes alkenes from alkanes?
Alkenes contain at least one double bond between carbon atoms, with the general formula C_nH_{2n}.
What is the functional group of alcohols?
The hydroxyl group (-OH).
What is an isomer?
Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements.
Define a functional group.
A specific group of atoms within a molecule that determines its chemical reactivity and properties.
What is a stereoisomer?
Molecules with the same molecular and structural formula but differ in the 3D arrangement of atoms.
What are nucleophiles and electrophiles?
Nucleophiles: Electron-rich species that donate electrons to form bonds. Electrophiles: Electron-deficient species that accept electrons to form bonds.
What is a carbocation?
An organic ion with a positively charged carbon atom.
What is resonance in organic chemistry?
A way to describe delocalized electrons within molecules where a single Lewis structure cannot represent the bonding.
What is a substitution reaction?
A reaction in which one atom or group of atoms in a molecule is replaced by another atom or group.
What is an elimination reaction?
A reaction in which two atoms or groups are removed from a molecule, often resulting in the formation of a double bond.
Define an addition reaction.
A reaction where atoms or groups are added to a molecule, typically breaking a double or triple bond.
What is chirality in organic molecules?
A property where a molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image, often due to a chiral center (asymmetric carbon).
What are the two main types of organic reactions?
Homolytic (radical) and heterolytic (polar) reactions.
What is the IUPAC system?
A systematic method for naming organic compounds.
What is polymerization?
A process in which small molecules (monomers) join together to form a large molecule (polymer).
