Carbon Skeletons and Structural Isomers

Question 1

what is meant by a hydrocarbon being aliphatic?

Answer 1

carbon atoms are joined together in unbranched chains or branched chains or non-aromatic rings.

Question 2

what is meant by a hydrocarbon being alicyclic?

Answer 2

carbon atoms are joined to each other in ring sructures, with or without branches.

Question 3

what is meant by a hydrocarbon being aromatic?

Answer 3

some or all of the carbon atoms are found in a benzene ring.

Question 4

What are the three homologous series of aliphatic hydrocarbons you should be aware of?

Answer 4

-alkanes
-alkenes
-alkynes

Question 5

What is a alkyl group?

Answer 5

In a compound with a branched carbon skeleton, any hydrocarbon branched chains are called alkyl groups.
(CnH2n+1)

Question 6

what’s the difference between saturated and unsaturated compounds?

Answer 6

saturated- have single carbon-carbon bonds only
unsaturated- have multiple carbon-carbon bonds, including double, triple or aromatic rings.

Question 7

what are structural isomers?

Answer 7

compounds with the same molecular formula but a different structural formula.

Question 8

what is a chain isomer?

Answer 8

molecules that have different arrangements of the carbon skeleton

chain isomers have similar properties but their physical properties will be different because of the change of shape of the molecule.

Question 9

what is a positional isomer?

Answer 9

the skeleton and functional group are the same, but the functional group is attached to a different carbon atom.

have different physical properties, chemical properties might be different too.

Question 10

what is a functional group isomer?

Answer 10

have the same atoms arranged into different functional groups.

have very different physical and chemical properties.