Structure and Formulae Flashcards
What is Stereochemistry?
Stereochemistry is the study of the shapes of molecules
and the relationships between their component atoms and
groups in two and three dimensions.
Why does carbon form more compounds than any other element?
Carbon forms more compounds due to the strength of its carbon-carbon (C-C) single covalent bonds and its ability to catenate, forming chains or rings.
What is the bond energy of a C-C bond?
The bond energy of a C-C bond is 350 kJ/mol.
What property of carbon-carbon bonds makes them less vulnerable to chemical attacks?
The non-polar nature of carbon-carbon bonds helps reduce their vulnerability to chemical attacks.
In which group of the Periodic Table is carbon found?
Group IV (4)
What is meant by tetravalency in the context of carbon?
Tetravalency refers to carbon having four valence electrons available for forming bonds.
How are covalent bonds formed?
By the sharing of two electrons, one from each atom.
Sigma Bonds (σ)
What happens to a 2s electron in a carbon atom to allow for four bonds?
One of the 2s electrons is promoted to a 2p orbital, creating four unpaired electrons to form four bonds.
What is hybridization in the context of atomic orbitals?
Hybridization is the process of mixing atomic orbitals to create new orbitals that have characteristics of the original orbitals.
What are the characteristics of sp² hybrid orbitals used in ethene?
In ethene, sp² hybrid orbitals are formed by mixing one 2s and two 2p orbitals, creating three orbitals that are arranged in a plane with a bond angle of approximately 120º.
What is a significant advantage of carbon forming strong C-C bonds?
The formation of strong C-C bonds leads to the stability of the compounds formed.
What are the sp³ hybrid orbitals and how are they formed?
Sp³ hybrid orbitals are formed by mixing one 2s and three 2p orbitals, resulting in four equivalent orbitals that can form single bonds.
Describe the role of carbon’s four unfilled atomic orbitals.
The four unfilled atomic orbitals allow carbon to form four covalent bonds by hybridizing to create mixed orbitals.
How does the catenation property contribute to the diversity of carbon compounds?
Catenation allows carbon atoms to join together into long chains and ring structures, leading to a vast diversity of compounds.
