Organic Chemistry Flashcards
Define chain isomers.
Isomers that occur due to the branching in the carbon chain.
Describe displayed formula.
A type of structural isomer that shows all the bonds between every atom in the compound.
What is the empirical formula of C2H4?
The empirical formula is CH2.
Explain E-Z isomerism.
A type of stereoisomerism that occurs due to restricted rotation around the carbon double bond, resulting in different arrangements of groups.
Differentiate between E-isomer and Z-isomer.
E-isomer has the highest priority groups on opposite sides, while Z-isomer has them on the same side.
Define free-radical.
An uncharged molecule or atom with an unpaired valence electron.
What is a functional group?
The group of atoms responsible for the characteristic reactions of a particular compound.
Describe functional group isomers.
Isomers that contain different functional groups and belong to different homologous series.
What is a general formula in organic chemistry?
A type of empirical formula that represents the composition of any member of an entire class of compounds.
Identify the general formula for alkanes.
The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2.
Define homologous series.
A series of compounds with the same functional group and similar chemical properties.
What does the molecular formula represent?
The total number of atoms of each element in the compound.
Explain position isomers.
Isomers where the carbon backbone is the same but the important groups are at different positions on the backbone.
Describe a skeletal formula.
A skeletal formula is a diagram representation of an organic compound where lines represent bonds between atoms, and atoms are represented by their symbols. Hydrogens are assumed to be at the end of the line if no other atomic symbol is present.
Explain stereoisomerism.
Stereoisomerism occurs when two double bonded carbon atoms each have two different atoms or groups attached to them, leading to E/Z isomerism due to restricted rotation around the C=C double bond.
Define structural formula.
A structural formula shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule but does not depict all the bonds between them.
What are structural isomers?
Structural isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas.
How does a catalytic converter function?
A catalytic converter is a device fitted in cars to reduce emissions from internal combustion engines, using expensive metals like platinum and rhodium as catalysts mounted on a ceramic honeycomb to maximize surface area.
Describe catalytic cracking.
Catalytic cracking is a process that occurs at slight pressure and high temperature in the presence of a zeolite catalyst, primarily used to produce motor fuels and aromatic hydrocarbons.
What happens during the combustion of alkanes?
During the combustion of alkanes, carbon and hydrogen in the fuels are oxidized, releasing energy. Complete combustion produces water and carbon dioxide, while incomplete combustion can produce carbon monoxide and carbon particulates.
Define cracking in the context of alkanes.
Cracking is a process that involves breaking C-C bonds in alkanes to produce shorter chained alkanes and alkenes.
What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a finite resource found in rocks, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from ancient biomass, primarily plankton, that was buried in mud.
Explain fractional distillation.
Fractional distillation is a method used to separate a mixture of substances based on their different boiling points, commonly applied to separate crude oil into various fractions.
Define hydrocarbons.
Compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms only.
Describe saturated hydrocarbons.
Organic compounds that have all carbon-carbon bonds as single C-C bonds, such as alkanes.
Explain thermal cracking.
A type of cracking that occurs at high pressure and high temperature, producing a high percentage of alkenes.
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)?
Chemicals containing carbon, chlorine, and fluorine atoms that contribute to ozone depletion and are banned for use in refrigerants and solvents.
Define electrophile.
An electron pair acceptor in an organic mechanism, attracted to areas with a lot of electrons or high negative charge.
Describe the elimination reaction.
A reaction in which a molecule loses atoms or groups of atoms to form a C=C bond.
What are free radicals?
Species with an unpaired electron, represented in mechanisms by a single dot.
Explain free radical substitution.
A photochemical reaction between halogens and alkanes to form halogenoalkanes, requiring UV light and involving initiation, propagation, and termination stages.
