The Carbon Compounds
Overview
In the previous module, you have learned how non-metals make chemical bonds by sharing electrons from their outer shells to attain stable electronic configurations. This is also the process by which every carbon compound or organic compound is formed. In this module, the lessons will be about the uses and properties of common organic compounds like hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and alcohols.
Organic Compounds: Are They Useful?
Organic compounds are group of compounds that contain the element carbon. Organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen combined with other elements namely oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine) ethyl alcohol, acetone, gasoline, naphthalene, acetic acid, vanillin, acetylene, and esters are just a few examples of many useful organic compounds. These kinds of compounds are produced by plants and animals. However, these carbon-containing compounds can also be produced artificially. There are also organic compounds that are produced from petroleum: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, lubricating oil and kerosene. These compounds have different uses in the community.
Many organic compounds are formed because of the special characteristics of the element carbon. A carbon atom has four valence electrons. This kind of atomic structure makes the carbon atom able to form four covalent bonds with atoms of other elements and other carbon atoms. Carbon atoms can also make many types of arrangements: single bond, double bond, and triple bond. With these abilities of the carbon atoms, chemical bonds between carbon atoms and other elements can form different kinds of compounds with short and long straight and branched chained structures such as the following compounds.
Properties of Common Organic Compounds
Every kind of organic compound has specific properties or characteristics. Although these compounds may show similarities in some properties, these compounds do not have exactly the same properties.
Gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, lubricating oil, vanillin, acetic acid, and ethyl alcohol are organic compounds with different properties. Gasoline, for example, has a strong odor, is volatile, and highly flammable. In this activity, you will find out about the properties- odor, viscosity, volatility, and flammability of some other common organic compounds.
Odor is the smell of the compound. Every compound has its own specific odor. Viscosity is a measure of a liquid's resistance to flow. Volatility is the measure of the tendency of a compound to evaporate or turn into gaseous state. Flammability is the measure of how easily the material burns.
The Hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms only. Hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane and butane are components of natural gas. Hydrocarbons are grouped into families namely, alkanes, alkenes and alkynes. The compounds in each group have certain structures that make their properties different from the other.
Calcium carbide (CaC₂) is a compound that is commonly known as kalburo. Fruit vendors use this substance to speed up ripening of fruits like mangoes and bananas in just a couple of days. When calcium carbide reacts with water such as moisture in the air, ethyne gas is produced. Ethyne or commonly known as acetylene is a kind of alkyne.
Alcohols and Their Uses
Alcohols are another group of organic compounds. These organic compounds also have very important uses. Some alcohols are used as antiseptic or disinfectant, some are used as cleaning agents, others are used as components of liquors and a few alcohols are used as fuel for portable stoves or other types of burners.
Summary:
Carbon atoms have special abilities. Carbon atoms can form chemical bonds with other carbon atoms and other nonmetal atoms in many ways. They can form single, double, and triple bonds. These abilities of carbon atoms are the reasons why there are so many kinds of organic compounds.
Organic compounds are compounds that are primarily composed of carbon atoms, which are chemically bonded with hydrogen and other elements such as oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen. Organic compounds are gaturally produced by living organisms, but can also be produced artificially.
Organic compounds such as gasoline, kerosene, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, acetic acid, acetone, and lubricating oil have important uses. These uses are based on their specific chemical properties.
Hydrocarbons are a specific group of organic compounds which contain carbon and hydrogen only. Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes are the three basic groups of hydrocarbon compounds. Alkanes are hydrocarbons that have single bonds between carbon atoms. Alkenes are hydrocarbons that have double bonds between carbon atoms and Alkynes have triple bonds between carbon atoms.
Ethyne or commonly known as acetylene is an alkyne hydrocarbon with a chemical formula C2H2. This organic compound is commonly used as fuel in an oxy-acetylene welding torch. Ethyne (acetylene) is also produced when Calcium carbide, CaC₂ reacts with water in the air. It has the ability to hasten the ripening of fruits. That is why fruit vendors use calcium carbide in ripening their fruits in just a few days.
Ethene is a gaseous organic compound with a chemical formula CH CH₂. It is a plant's compound that is responsible for the ripening of fruits.
Alcohols are a group of organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl group, -OH, that is chemically bonded to a carbon atom in the compound. They have special uses such as a disinfectant, fuel, and as a main component (ethyl alcohol) of liquor and other alcoholic drinks.
Carbonyl compounds like acetone and formaldehyde have a carbonyl functional group, C=O, which is chemically bonded to a carbon atom in the compound. These common carbonyl compounds also have important uses: acetone is used as a cleaning agent like a nail polish remover, and formaldehyde is used in preserving organic materials like an animal specimen. This is also the compound used in embalming human cadavers.