Hydrocarbons and Organic Chemistry Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the hydrocarbon lecture notes covering classification, isomerism, nomenclature, formula types, and sources.

Hydrocarbons

Organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen.

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

Open-chain hydrocarbon compounds in which carbon atoms are arranged in chains.

Saturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons containing single bonds where all carbon atoms are bonded to four other carbon and/or hydrogen atoms.

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons with single bonds having the general molecular formula $C_n H_{2n+2}$, where $n$ is an integer.

Isomers

Molecules that have the same molecular formula, but have a different arrangement of the atoms in space.

Structural Isomers

Hydrocarbons with the same molecular formula but different structures because the atoms are arranged in a completely different order.

Chain Isomers

Structural isomers that arise because of the possibility of branching in carbon chains.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Organic compounds containing one or more multiple bonds, characterized by double or triple bonds between carbon atoms.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons characterized by a double bond between carbon atoms, having the general formula $C_n H_{2n}$.

Alkynes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons characterized by one or more triple bonds between carbon atoms.

Substituents

Groups attached to the main parent chain in hydrocarbon nomenclature.

Parent Chain

The longest continuous carbon chain identified in an organic molecule used to determine the base name.

Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Cyclic compounds characterized by a closed chain of carbon atoms possessing alternate single and double bonds, consisting of benzene, benzene derivatives, and fused benzene rings.

Alicyclic Hydrocarbons

Cyclo hydrocarbons that consist of cycloalkanes or cycloolefins.

Heterocyclic Compounds

Cyclic compounds in which at least one atom of the ring is an element other than carbon.

General Formula

A type of empirical formula that represents the chemical composition of any member of an entire class of compounds.

Molecular Formula

A formula expressing the actual number of each kind of atom present in a molecule.

Empirical Formula

A formula expressing the relative numbers of the different atoms present in a molecule.

Structural Formula

A formula showing the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and identifying the location of chemical bonds.

Coal

A complex mixture of high molecular weight hydrocarbons containing about $85\%$ carbon by mass, serving as an indirect source for aromatic hydrocarbons.

Coal Tar

A black, viscous liquid produced during the destructive distillation of coal to make coke, which is separated into pure compounds like naphthalene and benzene.

Natural Gas

A mixture of gases trapped with petroleum in Earth's crust, containing from $50\%$ to $94\%$ methane along with low molecular weight paraffin hydrocarbons.

Petroleum

A complex liquid solution of gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons, along with small amounts of nitrogen and sulfur compounds.

Cycloalkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with carbon atoms joined in a ring structure.

Branched-Chain Isomers

Structural isomers of hydrocarbons that have carbon-carbon bonds in side chains.

Straight-Chain Isomers

Structural isomers of hydrocarbons that have no side chains.