Yr 1 - Organic Chemistry

Homologous series

A family of organic compounds with the same functional group but different carbon chain lengths.

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons containing only C-H and C-C bonds, with no C=C double bonds.

Fractional distillation

A process to separate components of crude oil based on boiling points in a fractionating tower.

Cracking

A method to break larger hydrocarbon chains into shorter, more flammable ones.

Nucleophile

A negatively charged particle attracted to positively charged regions in other molecules.

Electrophilic addition

A reaction mechanism where an electrophile reacts with an alkene to form a more saturated compound.

Optical isomers

Isomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, having the same molecular formula but different spatial arrangements.

Catalytic converter

A device in vehicles that reduces harmful emissions by converting carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburnt hydrocarbons into less harmful substances.

Tertiary alcohols

Alcohols that cannot be oxidized because the carbon chain is too strong to be broken.

Boiling point

The temperature at which a liquid's vapor pressure equals the external pressure; affected by intermolecular forces and molecular structure.

Free radical substitution

A reaction mechanism where free radicals replace atoms in a molecule, commonly seen in the reaction of alkanes with halogens.

Stereoisomerism

Isomers with the same molecular formula but differing in the arrangement of atoms in space.

C-X bond

The polar bond formed between carbon and a halogen due to differences in electronegativity.

Oxidation of primary alcohols

Primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes and further to carboxylic acids, typically using acidified potassium dichromate.

Dehydration reaction

A reaction where a water molecule is removed from the reactants, commonly to form alkenes from alcohols.

Infrared spectroscopy

A technique used to identify molecular structures based on the absorption of infrared light at specific frequencies.

Fingerprinting region

The unique region in the infrared spectrum of a molecule that helps identify and distinguish it from others.