Carbon and its Compounds

Vocabulary flashcards covering carbon occurrences, covalent bonding, chemical physical properties, and atomic configurations based on Chapter 4 notes.

Earth's Crust Carbon Content

Carbon present in the Earth's crust at $0.02\%$ in the form of minerals like carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, coal, and petroleum.

Atmospheric Carbon Content

Carbon present in the atmosphere at $0.03\%$ in the form of carbon dioxide.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of a pair of electrons between two atoms.

Ionic Compounds

Compounds formed by the transfer of electrons between a metal and a non-metal, characterized by high melting and boiling points and the ability to conduct electricity in solution or molten state.

Acetic acid ($CH_3COOH$)

A carbon compound with a melting point of $290\,K$ and a boiling point of $391\,K$.

Chloroform ($CHCl_3$)

A carbon compound with a melting point of $209\,K$ and a boiling point of $334\,K$.

Ethanol ($CH_3CH_2OH$)

A carbon compound with a melting point of $156\,K$ and a boiling point of $351\,K$.

Methane ($CH_4$)

A carbon compound with a melting point of $90\,K$ and a boiling point of $111\,K$.

Atomic Number of Carbon

The atomic number $6$, meaning carbon has four valence electrons in its outermost shell.

$C^{4-}$ Anion

An anion that would form if carbon gained four electrons, which is unstable because a nucleus with $6$ protons cannot easily hold on to $10$ electrons.

$C^{4+}$ Cation

A cation that would form if carbon lost four electrons, requiring a large amount of energy to leave behind a nucleus with $6$ protons holding just $2$ electrons.

Hydrogen Molecule ($H_2$)

The simplest covalent molecule formed when two hydrogen atoms (atomic number $1$) share their single $K$ shell electrons to achieve noble gas configuration.