Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Hydrocarbons

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the concepts covered in the lecture notes on organic chemistry, focusing specifically on hydrocarbons, functional groups, properties, and nomenclature.

Organic Compounds

Compounds that contain carbon atoms, often also containing hydrogen.

Hydrocarbon

An organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon.

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons with single bonds between carbon atoms.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms within a molecule that is responsible for that molecule's characteristic reactions.

Covalent Bonds

Chemical bonds formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Saturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon in which all carbon-carbon bonds are single bonds.

Octet Rule

The principle that atoms tend to bond in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their valence shell.

Condensed Structural Formula

A simplified representation of a chemical compound that shows how atoms are arranged without depicting all bonds.

Expanded Structural Formula

A detailed representation of a molecule that shows all atoms and bonds.

Tetrahedral Shape

The geometry of a molecule where a central atom is bonded to four other atoms in a three-dimensional shape.

IUPAC Naming

A systematic method of naming organic chemical compounds as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Cyclic Alkanes

Alkanes that contain a ring of carbon atoms.

Isomers

Compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas.

Substituents

Atoms or groups of atoms that are attached to the main carbon chain.

Alkyl Group

A substituent formed by removing one hydrogen atom from an alkane.

Halo Group

A substituent that is a halogen atom attached to the carbon chain.

Combustion

A chemical reaction that occurs when a substance reacts with oxygen, producing energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Flammability

The ability of a substance to ignite and burn.

Order of Naming Substituents

When naming, substituents are listed in alphabetical order regardless of their position or number.

Line-Angle Formula

A simplified drawing of organic molecules where each vertex represents a carbon atom.

Branching

The process of adding substituents to the primary carbon chain, altering the way carbon atoms are connected.

Boiling Point

The temperature at which a liquid's vapor pressure equals the atmospheric pressure, causing the liquid to turn into vapor.

Melting Point

The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid.

Solubility

The ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent.

Electronegativity

A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

Nonpolar Bonds

Bonds between atoms that have similar electronegativities, resulting in an even distribution of electron density.

Polar Covalent Bonds

Bonds between atoms with significantly different electronegativities, resulting in an uneven distribution of electron density.

Methane

The simplest alkane, consisting of one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms (CH4).

Ethane

An alkane with two carbon atoms bonded to six hydrogen atoms (C2H6).

Propane

An alkane with three carbon atoms and eight hydrogen atoms (C3H8).

Butane

An alkane with four carbon atoms and ten hydrogen atoms (C4H10).

Pentane

An alkane with five carbon atoms and twelve hydrogen atoms (C5H12).

Hexane

An alkane with six carbon atoms and fourteen hydrogen atoms (C6H14).

Heptane

An alkane with seven carbon atoms and sixteen hydrogen atoms (C7H16).

Octane

An alkane with eight carbon atoms and eighteen hydrogen atoms (C8H18).

Nonane

An alkane with nine carbon atoms and twenty hydrogen atoms (C9H20).

Decane

An alkane with ten carbon atoms and twenty-two hydrogen atoms (C10H22).

Alkene

An unsaturated hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

Alkyne

An unsaturated hydrocarbon that contains at least one carbon-carbon triple bond.

Graphical Representation

Visual methods such as structural formulas or models to depict the arrangement of atoms in a compound.

Chemical Properties

Characteristics of a substance that are observed during a chemical reaction.

Physical Properties

Characteristics of a substance that can be observed without altering its chemical composition.

Hydrogen Bonds

Interactions that occur when hydrogen is bound to a more electronegative atom, contributing to the properties of organic compounds.

Density

The mass per unit volume of a substance, often used in the analysis of organic compounds.

Polarity

The distribution of electrical charge over the atoms joined by the bond.

Diagrams

Visual representations such as sketches or models used to understand molecular structures.

Combustion Reaction

A chemical process in which a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen and produces heat and light.

Thermodynamic Stability

The measure of how likely a compound is to remain in its current state without undergoing change.

Ring Strain

The strain in a cyclic molecule due to the bond angles differing from the ideal angle.

Skeletal Formula

A type of structural formula that omits hydrogen atoms and shows only the bonds between carbon atoms.

Three-dimensional Model

A representation that shows the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

Bond Angles

The angle formed between two bonds that share a common atom.

Conformation

The spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule that results from rotation about single bonds.

Geometric Isomerism

A form of isomerism that results from the inability of double or triple bonds to rotate freely.

Branched Alkanes

Alkanes that have one or more branches along the carbon chain, as opposed to being linear.

Cycloalkanes

Alkanes that contain a ring structure, with carbon atoms connected in a closed loop.

Alpha-Position

The carbon atom that is adjacent to a functional group in a chain.

Beta-Position

The second carbon atom away from a functional group in a chain.

Substituent Naming

The process of naming the substituent groups in an organic compound, following specific IUPAC rules.

Alkane Substituents

Atoms or groups of atoms that replace hydrogen in alkanes.

Haloalkanes

Alkanes in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by halogens.

Condensed Formula

A way of writing the formula of a compound that shows the groups of atoms, but not the individual bonds.

Main Chain

The longest continuous chain of carbon atoms in an organic molecule.

Locants

Numbers used in nomenclature to specify the position of substituents on the carbon chain.

2D Model

A two-dimensional representation of a molecule, often used for simplifying complex structures.

Halogens

Elements in group 17 of the periodic table, including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine.

Empirical Formula

A formula that shows the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound.

Molecular Formula

A formula that specifies the actual number of atoms of each element present in a molecule.

Chemical Formula

A representation of a chemical compound using symbols for its constituent elements.

Prefix for Five Carbons

Pent-.

Prefix for Six Carbons

Hex-.

Prefix for Seven Carbons

Hept-.

Prefix for Eight Carbons

Oct-.