Organic Chem- Carbon

Tetravalency

The property of carbon that allows it to form four covalent bonds due to having four valence electrons.

C-C bond

A carbon-carbon bond, which is strong and stable, allowing for the formation of chains and rings.

Organic compounds

Compounds primarily made of carbon; they include hydrocarbons and functional groups.

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; organization that sets the rules for naming organic compounds.

Functional groups

Specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules.

Catenation

The ability of carbon to bond with itself to form long chains, branched chains, and rings.

Saturated hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms (e.g., alkanes).

Unsaturated hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons that contain one or more double or triple bonds (e.g., alkenes and alkynes).

Isomerism

The phenomenon where compounds have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements.

Fractional distillation

A process used to separate mixtures of hydrocarbons based on their boiling points.

Cracking

The process of breaking down long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter ones, including alkanes and alkenes.

Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, containing only single bonds.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n, containing one or more double bonds.

Alkynes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n-2, containing one or more triple bonds.

Ethyne (Acetylene)

The simplest alkyne (C2H2) used in welding and production of organic solvents.

Geometrical isomerism

A type of isomerism seen in alkenes where isomers have different spatial arrangements (cis/trans forms).

Alcohols

Organic compounds containing hydroxyl groups (-OH), classified as functional groups.

Carboxylic acids

Organic compounds containing carboxyl groups (-COOH), characterized by their acidic properties.

Polymers

Large molecules formed from repeating units, often derived from alkenes.

Cyclic compounds

Compounds that contain carbon atoms arranged in a ring structure.