Organic Compounds Flashcards
What is organic chemistry?
Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies carbon-containing compounds and their properties, structures, and reactions.
Why is carbon central to organic compounds?
Carbon’s ability to form four covalent bonds allows it to create complex and diverse structures, including chains, rings, and frameworks.
What are functional groups?
Functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules.
Define isomerism in organic chemistry.
Isomerism is the phenomenon where compounds with the same molecular formula have different structural arrangements or spatial orientations.
What is chain isomerism?
Chain isomerism occurs when the carbon skeletons of compounds differ in structure (straight-chain vs. branched).
What is positional isomerism?
Positional isomerism arises when the functional group or substituent occupies different positions on the same carbon skeleton.
Define stereoisomers.
Stereoisomers are isomers that differ only in the spatial arrangement of their atoms.
What is chirality in organic molecules?
Chirality refers to molecules that cannot be superimposed on their mirror images, often due to the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom.
How are organic compounds named using IUPAC rules?
IUPAC nomenclature assigns a systematic name based on the longest carbon chain, functional groups, and substituents with appropriate prefixes and suffixes.
What determines the priority of functional groups in naming organic compounds?
The functional group with the highest priority according to IUPAC rules determines the suffix of the compound’s name.
What are alkanes?
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons containing only single bonds between carbon atoms, with the general formula CₙH₂ₙ₊₂.
What are alkenes?
Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon–carbon double bond, with the general formula CₙH₂ₙ.
What are alkynes?
Alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons that contain at least one carbon–carbon triple bond, with the general formula CₙH₂ₙ₋₂.
What is an aromatic compound?
Aromatic compounds contain conjugated ring systems, such as benzene, that exhibit unusual stability due to delocalized electrons.
Explain the concept of resonance.
Resonance is the delocalization of electrons in a molecule that can be represented by two or more contributing structures.
How does molecular geometry affect reactivity in organic compounds?
The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms affects the accessibility of reactive sites and influences the mechanism of reactions.
What is a polymer in organic chemistry?
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units (monomers) linked by covalent bonds.
How are substitution and addition reactions different?
Substitution reactions involve replacing one group with another, while addition reactions involve adding atoms or groups to a multiple bond.
Define electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions.
Electrophilic reactions involve an electron-deficient species (electrophile) attacking an electron-rich region, whereas nucleophilic reactions involve an electron-rich species (nucleophile) attacking an electron-deficient center.
What role do catalysts play in organic reactions?
Catalysts increase the rate of reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.
How does organic chemistry contribute to medicinal chemistry?
It provides the basis for designing and synthesizing drug molecules with specific biological activities.
What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated compounds?
Saturated compounds contain only single bonds, whereas unsaturated compounds contain one or more multiple bonds (double or triple bonds).
How are reaction mechanisms used in organic chemistry?
They describe the step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical change occurs.
What is nucleophilic acyl substitution?
It is a reaction mechanism where a nucleophile replaces a leaving group in a carbonyl compound, common in the formation of esters and amides.
Explain the importance of functional groups in determining reactivity.
Functional groups dictate the chemical behavior of organic molecules by influencing their electron distribution and steric properties.
