Hydrocarbons Flashcards
What is organic chemistry about?
Compounds that contain carbon
What are hydrocarbons?
The simplest organic compounds, with a chain of carbon atoms bonded with hydrogen atoms . They only consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms
What are alkanes?
The simplest type of hydrocarbons you can get
What is the general formula of an alkane?
CnH2n+2
What series are the alkanes a part of?
The homologous series, which are a group of hydrocarbons with similar properties and react in similar ways
What kind of compounds are alkanes and why?
They’re saturated compounds as each carbon atom forms four single covelant bonds
list the first four alkanes and their molecular formula
- methane CH4
- ethane C2H6
- propane C3H8
- butane C4H10
what changes as the length of the carbon chain changes
the properties of the hydrocarbon
the shorter the carbon chain is…
the more runny the hydrocarbon is, or the less viscous it is
the more runny the hydrocarbon is, or the less viscous it is
shorter carbon chains are more volatile or have lower boiling points
why do hydrocarbons with shorter carbon chains have lower boiling points
because forces between molecules increase as the size of the molecule increases, so increasing the length of a carbon chain results in stronger intermolecular forces holding the hydrocarbon together, which requires more energy to break
what do the properties of hydrocarbons determine when being used
how they’d be used for fuels
name two things that complete combustion of a hydrocarbon in oxygen would result in
production of carbon dioxide and water and the release of alot of energy
what is the word equation for the complete combustion of hydrogen in oxygen
hydrocarbon + oxygen = carbon dioxide + water + energy
what happens to the carbon and hydrogen atoms in a hydrocarbon during combustion
they are oxidised, meaning they gain oxygen
