Ch. 3: An Introduction to Organic Compounds Flashcards
What is an alkane?
a compound composed only of carbon and hydrogen atoms and contain only single bonds
What is a hydrocarbon?
compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms
What is a straight-chain alkane?
alkanes in which the carbons form a continuous chain with no branches
CH4
methane
CH4
C2H6
ethane
CH3CH3
C3C8
propane
CH3CH2CH3
C4C10
butane
CH3CH2CH2CH3
C5H12
pentane
CH3(CH2)3CH3
C6H14
hexane
CH3(CH2)4CH3
C7H16
heptane
CH3(CH2)4CH3
C8H18
octane
CH3(CH2)6CH3
C9H20
nonane
CH3(CH2)7CH3
C10H22
decane
CH3(CH2)8CH3
What is a homologous series?
a family of compounds in which each member differs from the one before it in the series by one methylene (CH2) group. the members of a homologous group are called homologues.
What’s the general molecular formula for an alkane?
CnH2n+2, where n is any positive integer
How many possible structures are there for methane, ethane, and propane?
one possible structure for each
How many possible structures are there for butane?
two possible structures
What are constitutional isomers?
compounds such as butane and isobutane that have the same molecular formula but differ in the way atoms are connected
What is an “iso” structural unit?
How many possible structures are there for pentane?
three possible structures
How many possible structures are there for hexane?
five constitutional isomers with molecular formula C6H14
How many possible structures are there for heptane?
nine alkanes with molecular formula C7H16
How are alkyl groups named?
Alkyl groups are named by replacing the “ane” ending of the alkane with “yl”
What is an alkyl subsituent?
the result of removing a hydrogen from an alkane