Chloroalkanes Flashcards
How many tetrahedral carbon compounds are studied as part of your course?
Three
Name the three types of tetrahedral carbon compounds studied as part of your course.
Alkanes
Chloroalkanes
Alcohols
What is a tetrahedral carbon atom?
A carbon surrounded by four single bonds
Give an example of a chloroalkane used as an anaesthetic
Chloroform CHCl3
What is the new name for chloroform?
trichloromethane
Define a chloroalkane
A chloroalkane is a compound in which one or more of the hydrogen atoms in an alkane molecule have been replaced by chlorine atoms
Describe the relationship between chloroalkanes and their corresponding alkanes.
(2)
The chloroalkanes have the same basic tetrahedral shape as the corresponding alkanes
Similar to the alkanes they are all saturated compounds
Where are chloroalkanes usually found?
(2)
They are very rarely found naturally occurring
Most are synthesised in the laboratory
What is the main use of chloroalkanes?
They are mainly used as solvents for removing oil and gease marks from machinery and in the dry cleaning of clothes
Why are chloroalkanes suitable for cleaning fabrics?
These solvents are very suitable for modern fabrics as they remove oil, grease and other water-insoluble substances from the clothes without harming the fabric
What chloroalkane is found in paint stripper?
It contains the solvent dichloromethane CH2Cl2
Describe the polarity of the carbon-chlorine bond.
It has some polarity but not enough to allow the chloroalkanes to dissolve in water
Why cant the carbon-chlorine bond not dissolve in water?
The bond has some polarity but not enough to allow the chloroalkanes to dissolve in water
What can the carbon-chlorine bonds regularly dissolve in?
They can readily dissolve in non-polar solvents solvents such as cyclohexane and methylbenzene
Give some examples of non-polar solvents that carbon-chlorine bonds can regularly dissolve in.
(2)
Cyclohexane
Methylbenzene
If the chloroalkanes are liquid at room temperature then what state are the corresponding alkanes in?
They are gases
Why are the alkanes gases at the same temperature when the chloroalkanes are liquid at room temperature?
This is caused by the polarity of the carbon-chlorine bond giving rise to intermolecular forces
What intermolecular forces does the carbon-chlorine bond give rise to?
Van der Waals forces
Explain why the chloroalkanes have higher boiling points as their carbon chains get longer.
The molecules with longer carbon chains have stronger van Der Waals forces between the molecules and this raises the boiling points as more energy is needed to overcome these forces
What was discovered about some solvents containing chlorine in the 1980s?
Some solvents containing chlorine cause damage to the ozone layer
What prefixes are used to indicate two and three chlorine atoms?
Di
Tri
Name the compound CH3Cl
Chloromethane
Name the compound CH2Cl2
Dichloromethane
Name the compound CHCl3
Trichloromethane
Name the compound CCl4
Tetrachloromethane
Name the compound CH3CH2CH2Cl
1-chloropropane
Name the compound CH3CH2CH2CH2Cl
1-chlorobutane
