introduction to organic chemistry

carbon can form rings and very long chains, which can be branched

a carbon atom has four electrons in its outer shell, so it forms four covalent bonds carbon-carbon bonds are relatively string (347 KJ MOL^-1) and non-polar

the carbon-hydrogen bond is also strong (413 KJ mol^-1) and relatively non-polar. hydrocarbon chains form the skeleton of most organic compounds

organic compounds were originally thought to be produced by living things only. this was disapproved by Friedrich Wohler in 1828.

in all stable carbon compounds, carbon forms four covalent bonds and has eight electrons in its outer shell

by forming four single bonds as an alkane by forming two single bonds and one double bond as an alkene by forming one single bond and one triple bond as an alkyne

General formula Empirical formula Molecular formula structural formula skeletal formula displayed formula

an algebraic formula that can describe any member of compounds

the simplest ratio of atoms of each element in a compound

the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule

shows the bonds of the carbon skeleton only, with any functional groups the hydrogen and carbon atoms arent shown this is handy for drawing large complicated structures, like cyclic hydrocarbons

shows how all the atoms are arranged and all the bonds between them

a homologous series is a group of compounds that contain the same functional group. they can all be represented by the same general formula

you can use the general formula to work out the molecular formula of any member of a homologous series each successive number of a homologous series differes by a CH2 group

alkanes branched alkanes alkenes halogenalkanes alcohols aldehydes ketones carboxylic acids esters amines amides acyl chlorides cycloalkanes arenes

as electrons are negatively charged they tend to move from areas of high electron density to more positively charged areas.

The movement of a pair of electrons is shown by a curly arrow that starts from a lone pair of electrons or from a covalent bond and moves towards the positively charged area of a molecule to form a new bond

sometimes a covalent bond may break in such a way that one electron goes to each atom that originally formed the bond these fragments of the original molecule have an unpaired electron and are called free radicals they are usually extremely reactive

international union of pure and applied chemistry