Module 4 - Organic Chemistry Basics

Question 1

What is a hydrocarbon?

Answer 1

A compound containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms.

Question 2

What is a saturated hydrocarbon?

Answer 2

The compound only has single bonds. For example the structure of methane.

Question 3

What is an unsaturated hydrocarbon?

Answer 3

An unsaturated hydrocarbon contains c=c multiple bonds. For example the structure of but-2-ene

Question 4

What is a homologous series?

Answer 4

A homologous series is a family of compounds with similar chemical properties whose successive members different by the addition of a CH2- group.

Question 5

What is a functional group?

Answer 5

A functional group is the part of an organic molecule that is largely responsible for the molecule’s chemical properties.

Question 6

What are aliphatic hydrocarbons?

Answer 6

Aliphatic hydrocarbons are carbon atoms joined to each other in unbranched or branched chains or non-aromatic rings. Basically everything that does not have a benzene ring.

Question 7

What is an alicyclic hydrocarbon?

Answer 7

Alicyclic hydrocarbons are carbon atoms joined to each other in a ring (cyclic) structure, with or without branches.

Question 8

What is an aromatic hydrocarbon?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What are three homologous series of aliphatic compounds?

Answer 9

Alkanes - containing single carbon to carbon bonds

Alkenes - containing at least 1 double carbon to carbon bond

Alkynes- containing at least 1 triple carbon to carbon bond

Question 10

What is molecular formulae?

Answer 10

The molecular formula shows the number and type of atoms of each element present in a molecule. It does not show how the atoms are joined together.

Question 11

What is empirical formulae?

Answer 11

The empirical formula is the simplest whole number ratio of the atoms of each element present in a compound

Question 12

What is general formula?

Answer 12

The general formula is the simplest algebraic formula for any member of a homologous series. For example for Alkenes it’s CnH2n.

Question 13

What is displayed formula?

Answer 13

A displayed formuka shows the relative positioning of all the atoms in a molecule and the bonds between them.

Question 14

What is structural formula?

Answer 14

The structural formula uses the smallest amount of detail necessary to show the arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

Question 15

What are isomers?

Answer 15

Different compounds with the same molecular formula

Question 16

What are structural isomers?

Answer 16

Structural isomers are compunds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulae. For example, butane and 2-methylpropane.

Question 17

What is homolytic fission?

Answer 17

When a covalent bond breaks by homolytic fission, each one of the bonded atoms takes one of the shared pair of electrons from the bond.

Question 18

What is a radical?

Answer 18

A species with an unpaired electron.

Question 19

What is heterolytic fission?

Answer 19

When a covalent bond breaks by heterolytic fission, one of the bonded atoms takes both of the electrons from the bond. This forms a negative and positive ion.

Question 20

What does a curly arrow show in a mechanism?

Answer 20

The movement of an electron pair.

Question 21

What are the three types of reaction?

Answer 21

Addition - two reactants join together to form one product

Substitution - where an atom or group of atoms is replaced by an atom or group of atoms.

Elimination - the removal of a small molecule from a larger one. One reactant molecule forms two products, usually the small product is water.