M4 Basic Concepts of Organic Chemistry Flashcards
What is a hydrocarbon?
A compound containing carbon and hydrogen only.
Hydrocarbons can be saturated or unsaturated:
- a saturated hydrocarbon has single bonds only (alkanes) CnH2n+2
- an unsaturated hydrocarbon contains carbon=carbon double bonds (alkanes) CnH2n
What is a homologous series?
A family of compounds with similar chemical properties whose successive members differ by the addition of a CH2 group.
What is a functional group?
Part of the organic molecule that is largely responsible for the molecules chemical properties. This results in the formation of molecules containing different functional groups, such as alcohol and amine groups.
How many successive carbons does methane have?
1
how many succesive carbons does ethane have?
2
How many succesive carbons does propane have?
3
How many succesive carbons does butane have?
4
How many succesive carbons does pentane have?
5
How many succesive carbons does hexane have?
6
How many succesive carbons does heptane have?
7
How many succesive carbons does octane have?
8
How to name alkanes?
Functional group: C-C
Suffix: -ane
How to name alkenes?
Functional group: C=C
Suffix: -ene
How to name haloalkanes?
Functional group: -F, -Cl, -Br, -I
Prefix: fluro-, chloro-, bromo-, iodo-
How to name alcohols?
Functional group: -OH
Prefix: hydroxyl-
Suffix: -ol
How to name aldehydes?
Functional group: - C=O (-CHO)
|
H
Suffix: -al
How to name ketones?
C
|
Functional group: C=O (C-CO-C)
|
C
Suffix: -one
How to name carboxylic acids?
Functional group: - C=O
|
OH
Suffix: -oic acid
What is the general formula?
The simplify algebraic formula of a member of a homologous series
What is the structural formula?
The minimal detail that shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule
What is the displayed formula?
The relative positioning of atoms and the bonds between them
What is the skeletal formula?
The simplified organic formula, shown by removing hydrogen atoms from alkyl chains, leaving just a carbon skeleton and associated functional groups
Rules for naming organic compounds:
- Chose the lowest numbering possible
- if there are more than one functional group, they should be ordered in alphabetical order
How to name multiple functional groups
2 = di
3 = tri
4 = tetra
eg. 4,4-dimethylpentan-1-ol
What are structural isomers?
Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formula.
The types include chain, functional group and positional
What are chain isomers?
Chain isomerism occurs when there is a difference in the atomic arrangement of the carbon to the carbon chain of a molecule. (if two or more compounds have the same molecular formula with different main chains, they have chain isomerism)
What are positional isomers?
Positional isomers have the same carbon skeleton and the same functional group, they differ from each other based on the position of the functional groups on the carbon chain.
What are functional group isomers?
They have the same molecular formula but the atoms are connected in different ways, meaning they have different functional groups.
How are covalent bonds broken?
Covalent bonds are a shared pair of electrons between two atoms. When a chemical reaction takes place, bonds in the reactants break and new bonds are formed.
Covalent bonds can be broken be either homolytic fission or heterolytic fission.
Describe homolytic fission
When a covalent bond breaks by homolytic fission, each of the bonded atoms takes one of the shared pair of electrons from the bond.
- Each atom has a single unpaired electron
- An atom or groups of atoms with an unpaired electron is called a radical
eg. H3C-CH3 —> H3C• + •CH3 (radicals)
Describe heterolytic fission
When a covalent bond breaks by heterolytic fission, one of the bonded atoms takes both of the electrons from the bond.
- the atom that takes both electrons becomes a negative ion
- the atom that does not take the electrons becomes a positive ion
eg. H3C-Cl —> H3C+ + Cl-
What is an addition reaction?
Two reactants join together to form one product
What is a substitution reaction?
An atom or group of atoms is replaced by a different atom or group of atoms
What is an elimination reaction?
The removal of a small molecule for a larger one. One reactant molecule forms two products.
