organic chemistry flashcards (rotation 4)

Hydrocarbon

an organic compound made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms

Inorganic compound

a substance that does not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds

Organic chemistry

the study of carbon-containing compounds

Organic compound

a substance that contains carbon, commonly bonded to hydrogen

Alkane

a hydrocarbon containing only single covalent bonds

Alkene

a hydrocarbon containing a double covalent bond

Functional group

an atom, a group of atoms or a specific feature that is responsible for the chemical properties of a compound

General formula

a formula that represents the atomic composition of members of a class of compounds

Homologous series

a class of compounds with the same functional group and whose members differ by -CH2-

Saturated compound

a compound with only single covalent carbon-carbon bonds

Unsaturated compound

a compound with at least one double or triple carbon-carbon bond

Viscosity

the resistance of a substance to flow or change of shape; high viscosity= low ability to flow (thick)

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

Locant

a number that indicates the carbon where certain parts of an organic compound are positioned

Prefix

letters or numbers placed before the stem of the word

Skeletal formula

a shorthand way to represent organic compounds, using only lines and symbols for elements other than carbon and hydrogen

Stem

the word in the name of an organic compound that indicates the number of carbons in the longest chain

Structural formula

a representation of a compound that shows the structural arrangement of atoms

Suffix

a word or letters placed after the stem of the word

Asphalt

a mixture of gravel, sand and bitumen, used for roads

Bitumen

the heaviest fraction of crude oil, left over after fractional distillation

Condense

to change from a gas to a liquid state

Feedstock

a chemical used to support large-scale chemical reactions, usually in industry

Fraction

a part of a larger mixture of many parts

Fractional distillation

the separation of a mixture into different parts or fractions, according to their different boiling points

Fractionating column

a vertical cylinder that decreases in temperature up the column, condensing and separating substances just below their boiling points

Biofuel

a fuel derived from biomass such as plants and animal waste, rather than from fossil fuels

Combustion

a reaction that involves burning in the presence of oxygen to release heat

Exothermic

a reaction that releases energy into the surroundings, causing the temperature to rise

Soot

a black form of carbon formed by incomplete combustion

Addition polymerisation

a reaction in which alkenes join together at the carbon- carbon double bond to form organic polymers

Monomer

a small molecule that bonds together in a repeating pattern to form large polymers

Polyethylene

the common name for the most widely used plastic; IUPAC name 'polyethene'

Polymer

a long-chain molecule (usually carbon-based) made up of many small repeating units

Polymerisation

a reaction in which monomers combine chemically to form long-chain molecules

Synthesise

make something new by combining smaller parts

Synthetic

made by humans by non-natural methods

Biodegradable

can be broken down (e.g. by bacteria)

Cross-links

chemical bonds that join polymer chains to one another

Inert

chemically unreactive

Plasticise

to soften a polymer by adding lubricating chemicals, resulting in a more flexible polymer

PVC

polyvinyl chloride

Thermoset

a polymer with cross-links; chars when heated instead of melting

Vulcanised rubber

synthetic rubber that has been modified from its natural form to include cross-links

Bioaccumulation

the build-up of chemicals such as microplastics in the tissues of living organisms

Biomagnification

increasing concentrations of chemical toxins in organisms up the food chain

Microbeads

a type of microplastic with a specific function for scrubbing or exfoliating

Microplastics

tiny plastic particles from the physical breakdown of larger plastics

Bioplastic

a plastic made from a biological material

PLA

polylactic acid; a bioplastic polymer made from corn or sugar