Chemistry 12 Advanced: Introduction to Hydrocarbons Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the basics of organic chemistry, hydrocarbon classification, petroleum refining, and isomerism based on the lecture notes.

Organic Compounds

Compounds that contain carbon, excluding carbon oxides, carbides, and carbonates.

Friedrich Fuller

The scientist who produced the first organic compound (urea) in a laboratory, proving organic compounds could be synthesized without a vital force.

Vital Force

A historical belief that a special force in living organisms was required to synthesize carbon compounds.

Hydrocarbons

The simplest organic compounds which contain only carbon and hydrogen.

Methane ($CH_4$)

The simplest hydrocarbon and the main component of natural gas.

Space-filling model

A molecular model that gives a realistic picture of the molecule as it would appear in reality, though it makes it difficult to determine bond types.

Saturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon that contains only single bonds and does not react with bromine.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon that contains at least one double or triple bond between carbon atoms and reacts with bromine.

Petroleum

A complex mixture containing more than a thousand different organic compounds.

Fractional distillation

The process of evaporating oil at a boiling point and collecting the derivatives as they condense at different temperatures.

Fractionating tower

The tower where oil components are separated based on their boiling points; lighter materials condense at the top, while heavy materials condense at the bottom.

Cracking

The process of converting heavy ingredients into gasoline by breaking large molecules into smaller ones in the absence of oxygen and the presence of a catalyst.

Gasoline

An automotive fuel consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons with carbon atoms ranging from $5$ to $12$.

Knocking (Banging)

A sound produced by the uneven combustion of straight-chained (non-branched) hydrocarbons in a car engine.

Octane number system

A system used to give values of knocking resistance in fuel; higher numbers indicate higher fuel quality.

Alkanes

Saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons with the general formula $C_nH_{2n+2}$.

Homogeneous Series

A series of compounds that differ from each other only in the number of repeating units, such as the $CH_2$ unit in alkanes.

Parent chain

The longest continuous carbon chain used as the basis for naming branched alkanes.

Alkyl group

An alternative group formed when one hydrogen atom is removed from an alkane molecule, following the formula $C_nH_{2n+1}$.

Cycloalkanes

Cyclic hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds with the general formula $C_nH_{2n}$.

Alkenes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing at least one double bond between carbon atoms with the general formula $C_nH_{2n}$.

Alkynes

Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing at least one triple bond between carbon atoms with the general formula $C_nH_{2n-2}$.

Structural Isomers

Two or more compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in their structural formula, name, and physical/chemical properties.

Geometric isomers

Stereoisomers resulting from different arrangements and orientations of groups around a double bond ($cis$ and $trans$).

Resonance

The phenomenon in benzene where pairs of electrons are common to all six carbon atoms in the ring rather than being fixed in position.

Aromatic compounds

Organic compounds that contain benzene rings as part of their composition.

Aliphatic compounds

Hydrocarbons such as alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes; the term originates from the word for fat.

Benzopyrene

The first known carcinogen, discovered in chimney soot and also found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust.

Edwin Drake

The individual who drilled the first oil well in America in 1859.