C7 - organic chemistry Flashcards
what is a hydrocarbon?
any compound that is formed from carbon and hydrogen atoms only
what is the general formula for alkanes?
CnH2n+2,
what are alkanes?
a homologous series of saturated hydrocarbons
what is a homologous series?
a group of organic compounds that react in a similar way
what are the first four alkanes?
methane, ethane, propane, butane
what is a displayed formula?
a drawing showing all the atoms and bonds in a molecule
what is the formula for methane?
CH4
what is the formula for Ethane?
C2H6
what is the formula for propane?
C3H8
what is the formula for Butane?
C4H10
what are the properties of shorter hydrocarbons?
- less viscous
- more volatile (lower boiling points)
- more flammable
what are the properties of longer hydrocarbons?
- more viscous
- less volatile (higher boiling points)
- less flammable
what are short-chain hydrocarbons used for? why?
they are used as ‘bottled gases’ - stored under pressure as liquids in bottles - because of their low boiling points
what is the equation for the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon?
hydrocarbon + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water
during the combustion of a hydrocarbon, what happens to the carbon and hydrogen?
they are both oxidised
why are hydrocarbons used as fuels?
they release a lot of energy when they combust completely