C11 - Basic Concepts of Organic Chemistry

Question 1

What is a hydrocarbon?

Answer 1

• a compound containing carbon and hydrogen only

Question 2

What is a saturated/unsaturated hydrocarbon?

Answer 2

• saturated : contains single C-C bonds only
• unsaturated : contains a C=C double bond

Question 3

What is a homologous series?

Answer 3

• families of organic compounds with the same general formula and functional group

Question 4

What is the general formula of an alkane?

Answer 4

• CnH2n+2

Question 5

What is the general formula of an alkene?

Answer 5

• CnH2n

Question 6

What is a functional group?

Answer 6

• an atom or group of atoms which (when present in different molecules) cause the molecules to have similar chemical properties

Question 7

What are the different functional groups?

Answer 7

• alkene = C=C
• alkane = C-C
• alcohol = -OH
• haloalkane = -halogen
• aldehyde = -C(=)OH
• ketone = -C(=)O
• carboxylic acid = -C(=)OOH
• ester = -C(=)OO

Question 8

What are the different homologous series names/prefixes/suffixes?

Answer 8

• alkene = -ene
• alkane = -ane
• alcohol = -ol/hydroxy-
• haloalkane = chloro-/bromo-/iodo-
• aldehyde = -al/formyl-
• ketone = -one
• carboxylic acid = -oic acid
• ester = -yl/-oate

Question 9

What is the order of priority when naming compounds?

Answer 9

• carboxylic acids
• aldehydes
• ketones
• alcohols
• alkenes
• haloalkenes

Question 10

What is an empirical formula?

Answer 10

• shows the simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element in the compound

Question 11

What is an aliphatic compound?

Answer 11

• contains carbon and hydrogen joined together in straight/branched chains (no rings)

Question 12

What is an alicyclic compound?

Answer 12

• arranged in non-aromatic rings with/without side chains

Question 13

What is an aromatic compound?

Answer 13

• contains a benzene ring

Question 14

What are structural isomers?

Answer 14

• compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulae

Question 15

What is homolytic fission?

Answer 15

• where bond breaking results in each bonding atom receiving one electron from the bonded pair
• this forms 2 radicals (species that possesses an unpaired electron)

Question 16

What is heterolytic fission?

Answer 16

• where bond breaking results in one atom receiving both electrons from the bonded pair
• ** moat organic reactions occur via heterolytic fission to form ions **

Question 17

What do curly arrows show?

Answer 17

• the movement of an electron pair
• shows either (covalent) bond forming or breaking
• ** starts from lone pair/centre of bond **
• include dipoles when drawing mechanism

Question 18

What are the three types of reactions?

Answer 18

• addition:
  
  • two reactants join together to form a single product
• substitution:
  
  • one functional group (atom) is replaced by a different functional group (atom)
• elimination:
  
  • a small molecule is removed from a larger molecule