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The Carbon Compounds
Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
Overview
In your previous lesson, you have learned that non-metals chemically bond to each
other by sharing the electrons from their outer shells to attain a stability of eight valence
electrons. This process of bonding is what we call covalent bonding. Through the same
process, carbon compounds or organic compounds are formed. But what are organic
compounds? What does carbon have to do with these compounds? What are the uses of
these compounds?
In this module, we will tackle the following lessons:
1. The Amazing Super Carbon
2. The League of Organic Compounds
At the end of the module, you are expected to:
1. Explain how the structure of carbon atom affects the types of bonds it forms; and
2. Recognize the general classes and uses of organic compounds.
Read, discover, and have fun!
Pre-Assessment
Before you go on further with the module, we must first assess what you already know
regarding the lesson. Below is short pre-assessment for you to answer. Encircle the letter of
the best answer.
1. Which of the following statements best describe organic compounds?
a. Organic compounds are compounds that contain carbon and oxygen only.
b. Organic compounds are compounds that are produced by living things.
c. Organic compounds are composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen.
d. Organic compounds are compounds that contain carbon atoms only.
2. How do carbon atoms form many organic compounds?
a. By attracting other elements toward themselves to form the bonds
b. By forming many bonds with other carbon atoms and other elements
c. By sharing their electrons with other metal and non-metal elements
d. By transferring their electrons to the atoms of surrounding elements
3. What is the maximum number of bonds a carbon atom can form?
a. 2
c. 4
b. 3
d. 5
4. Emmanuel Juan, a fisher man, went home with some of his catch and told his son to cook
the fish. Then his father told him to buy some so that they could start cooking the fish. Which
organic compound do you think the boy will buy?
a. kerosene
c. lubricating oil
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Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
b. gasoline
d. alcohol
5. Which of the following pairs of organic compounds is highly flammable?
a. gasoline, acetone
c. lubricating oil, isopropyl alcohol
b. water, ethyl alcohol
d. liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene
6. Honey is applying something to the ball bearings of the wheels of her bicycle so that friction
will be minimized. Which of the following material do you think she is using?
a. vinegar
c. kerosene
b. isopropyl alcohol
d. lubricating oil
7. A gasoline boy was being scolded by his store manager for smoking in the vicinity of the
gasoline station. Why do you think the manager scolded his employee?
a. because gasoline is volatile.
b. because gasoline is flammable.
c. because gasoline is viscous.
d. all of the above.
8. Joimee scratched herself when her arm bumped into the concrete post. What do you think
should she apply to make her bruises free from harmful germs?
a. formalin
c. water
b. isopropyl alcohol
d. acetone
9. Which organic compound is used as a cleaning agent?
a. gasoline
c. liquified petroleum gas (LPG)
b. kerosene
d. ethyl alcohol
10. Which hydrocarbon compound has a triple bond in the molecule?
a. octane
c. ethene
b. methane
d. ethyne
11. How many types of bond are there in the following hydrocarbon compound?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
12. To which group of hydrocarbon does the molecule with the structure below belong?
a. alkane
b. alkyne
c. alkene
d. none of the above
13. Ethene is a natural gas produced in plants, which acts as a ripening agent of fruits. Which
of the following organic compounds has the same ability to ripen fruits?
a. butane
c. acetylene
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b. propene
d. pentyne
14. Which alkane will most likely have a very low boiling point?
a. propane
c. butane
b. pentane
d. hexane
15. What is the common use of methane?
a. disinfectant
b. fertilizer
c. artificial ripening agent
d. fuel
16. Which are true about the use of isopropyl alcohol?
I. cleaner
II. fuel
a. I and II only
b. II and III only
III. disinfectant
IV. fertilizer
c. III and IV only
d. I and IV only
17. Salvador has to remove the red paint from the paintbrush so that he could still use it again
next time. What organic compound should he use?
a. acetic acid
c. kerosene
b. lubricating oil
d. formaldehyde
18. Which of the following is a carbonyl compound?
a.
c.
b.
d.
19. What organic compound is used by embalmers in treating human cadavers?
a. acetic acid
c. methyl alcohol
b. formaldehyde
d. acetone
20. Which compound is an alcohol?
a.
b.
c.
d.
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Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
LESSON I The Amazing Super Carbon
In Biochemistry, we always encounter the element carbon in almost every molecule
making up an organism’s body. Afterall, carbon is the most important element to life (aside
from oxygen).
Why is carbon so basic to life? The reason is carbon’s ability to form stable bonds with
many elements, including itself. This property allows carbon to form a huge variety of very
large and complex molecules. In fact, there are nearly 10 million carbon-based compounds in
living things!
Carbon is the sixth element in the periodic table,
right in the middle of the first row. The carbon atom has
four valence (outermost) electrons. Because of this unique
configuration, it is easier for the carbon atom to share its
four electrons with another atom or atoms than to lose or
gain four electrons. Because each carbon is identical, they
all have four valence electrons, so they can easily bond with
other carbon atoms to form long chains or rings. In fact, a
carbon atom can bond with another carbon atom two or
three times to make double and triple covalent bonds
between two carbon atoms. Long chains of carbon atoms
with double and triple bonds are quite common in biology.
Figure 1.The element Carbon in the
periodic table.
valence electron
Figure 2. The atomic structure of carbon.
Many molecules contain carbon atoms bonded to each other or to atoms of other
elements. These carbon-containing molecules are generally called organic compounds.
Organic compounds make up the cells and other structures of organisms and carry out life
processes. Carbon is the main element in organic compounds, so carbon is essential to life on
Earth. Without carbon, life as we know it could not exist.
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The Carbon Compounds
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Organic chemicals get their diversity from the many different ways carbon can bond to
other atoms. The simplest organic chemicals, called hydrocarbons, contain only carbon and
hydrogen atoms; the simplest hydrocarbon (called methane) contains a single carbon atom
bonded to four hydrogen atoms:
Figure 3. methane (CH4)
But carbon can bond to other carbon atoms in addition to hydrogen, as illustrated in
the molecule ethane below:
Figure 4. ethane (C2H6)
In fact, the uniqueness of carbon comes from the fact that it can bond to itself in many
different ways. Carbon atoms can form long chains:
Figure 5. hexane (C6H14)
branched chains:
Figure 6. isohexane (C6H14)
rings:
Figure 7. cyclohexane
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There appears to be almost no limit to the number of different structures that carbon
can form. To add to the complexity of organic chemistry, neighboring carbon atoms can form
double and triple bonds in addition to single carbon-carbon bonds:
Figure 8. types of simple hydrocarbon bonds
Keep in mind that each carbon atom forms four bonds. As the number of bonds
between any two carbon atoms increases, the number of hydrogen atoms in
the molecule decreases (as can be seen in the figures above).
The simplest hydrocarbons are those that contain only carbon and hydrogen. These
simple hydrocarbons come in three varieties depending on the type of carboncarbon bonds that occur in the molecule.
1. Alkanes are the first class of simple hydrocarbons and contain only carbon-carbon
single bonds. The alkanes are named by combining a prefix that describes the number of
carbon atoms in the molecule with the root ending "-ane". The names and prefixes for the
first ten alkanes are given in the following table.
Carbon Atoms
Prefix
Alkane Name
Chemical Formula
Structural Formula
1
Meth
Methane
CH4
CH4
2
Eth
Ethane
C2H6
CH3CH3
3
Prop
Propane
C3H8
CH3CH2CH3
4
But
Butane
C4H10
CH3CH2CH2CH3
5
Pent
Pentane
C5H12
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3
6
Hex
Hexane
C6H14
...
7
Hept
Heptane
C7H16
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Carbon Atoms
Prefix
Alkane Name
Chemical Formula
8
Oct
Octane
C8H18
9
Non
Nonane
C9H20
10
Dec
Decane
C10H22
Structural Formula
The chemical formula for any alkane is given by the expression CnH2n+2. The structural
formula, shown for the first five alkanes in the table, shows each carbon atom and
the elements that are attached to it. This structural formula is important when we begin
to discuss more complex hydrocarbons. The simple alkanes share many properties in
common. All enter into combustion reactions with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide
and water vapor. In other words, many alkanes are flammable. This makes them good
fuels. For example, methane is the main component of natural gas, and butane is
common lighter fluid.
2. The second class of simple hydrocarbons, the alkenes, consists of molecules that contain
at least one double-bonded carbon pair. Alkenes follow the same naming convention used
for alkanes. A prefix (to describe the number of carbon atoms) is combined with the
ending "-ene" to denote an alkene. Ethene, for example is the two-carbon molecule that
contains one double bond. The chemical formula for the simple alkenes follows the
expression CnH2n. Because one of the carbon pairs is double bonded, simple alkenes have
two fewer hydrogen atoms than alkanes.
Figure 9. ethene (C2H4)
3. Alkynes are the third class of simple hydrocarbons and are molecules that contain at least
one triple-bonded carbon pair. Like the alkanes and alkenes, alkynes are named by
combining a prefix with the ending "-yne" to denote the triple bond. The
chemical formula for the simple alkynes follows the expression CnH2n-2.
Figure 10. ethyne (C2H2)
In addition to carbon and hydrogen, hydrocarbons can also contain other elements. In
fact, many common groups of atoms can occur within organic molecules, these groups of
atoms are called functional groups. One good example is the hydroxyl functional group. The
hydroxyl group consists of a single oxygen atom bound to a single hydrogen atom (-OH). The
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The Carbon Compounds
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group of hydrocarbons that contain a hydroxyl functional group is called alcohols. The
alcohols are named in a similar fashion to the simple hydrocarbons, a prefix is attached to a
root ending (in this case "-anol") that designates the alcohol. The existence of the functional
group completely changes the chemical properties of the molecule. Ethane, the two-carbon
alkane, is a gas at room temperature; ethanol, the two-carbon alcohol, is a liquid.
Figure 11. Ethanol, common drinking alcohol, is the active ingredient in "alcoholic" beverages such as beer and wine.
Activity 1
Encircle the letter of the best answer.
1. How many valence electrons does carbon possess?
a. 1
c. 3
b. 2
d. 4
2. If two carbon atoms were bonded to each other, what type of bond would exist
between the two atoms?
a. metallic
c. covalent
b. ionic
d. hydrogen
3. Why is carbon considered as the basic element of life?
a. Because it can be bonded to hydrogen.
b. Because it is excreted by the body in the form of carbon dioxide.
c. Because it is the major component of organic compounds.
d. Because it provides fuel for the body.
4. Hydrocarbons are compounds which are mainly made up of carbon and hydrogen
atoms. Which of the following is a hydrocarbon with a single bond?
a. propane
c. pentyne
b. butene
d. pantene
5. What is the name of the compound below?
a. hexane
b. 1-octene
c. 1-nonyne
d. heptane
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LESSON 2 The League of Organic Compounds
As mentioned earlier, organic compounds are group of compounds that contain the
element carbon. Organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen combined with other
elements, namely oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and halogens (fluorine, chlorine,
bromine, and iodine). Ethyl alcohol, acetone, gasoline, naphthalene, acetic acid, and esters
are just a few examples of many useful organic compounds. These kinds of compounds are
produced by plants and animals. However, there are also organic compounds that are
produced artificially. Liquified petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, lubricating oil, and kerosene are
produced from petroleum. These compounds have different uses in the community.
To know more about the uses of some organic compounds, let’s do the activity below.
Activity 2
CHECK THE LABEL!
Objective:
To recognize the common uses of common organic compounds.
Materials:
Labels or picture of the following products: gasoline, acetone, kerosene, acetic
acid, LPG, ethyl alcohol or ethanol.
Procedure:
Use the label/pictures of the material to answer the following questions. Complete
the table by using a check mark (✓) to indicate the uses of the compounds. You
may have more than one check mark per sample depending on its use.
Uses
Gasoline
Organic Compounds and Its Uses
Acetic
Acetone
Kerosene
LPG
Ethanol
Acid
Beverage
Food
Antiseptic
Fuel
Cleaner
See the next page for the continuation
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Questions:
1. What do you think are the characteristics of the materials which give their
uses?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
2. Why do you think these kinds of organic compounds are very important?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Properties of Organic Compounds
Properties of 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.
Let us take this for example: liquified petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, lubricating oil,
and kerosene are all produced from petroleum. However, each of them is distinct from one
another because these compounds vary in one or many properties – odor, viscosity, volatility,
and flammability.
1. Odor – it is the smell of the compound. Organic compounds like hydrocarbons mostly
smell like gasoline. Alcohols and aldehydes have a pleasant odor; they smell like fruits
or flowers. Meanwhile, some variations of carboxylic acid can give you a pungent odor
(as that of your armpits). The same goes with amines (which give fishy smell).
2. Viscosity – is a measure of a liquid’s resistance to flow. Some compounds are more
viscous or they flow faster. Some compounds are less viscous or they flow slower.
3. Volatility – is the measure of the tendency of a compound to evaporate or turn into
gaseous state.
4. Flammability – is the measure of how easily the material burns.
Boiling point and phase are also properties given consideration when it comes to
hydrocarbons. Look at the table below. What do you notice in the boiling point of the
hydrocarbons as the number of carbon atom increases? Why do you think some
hydrocarbons are gases and others are liquids?
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The Carbon Compounds
Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
Figure 12. table of boiling points of alkanes
You would notice that as the number of carbon atoms increases in hydrocarbon, the
boiling point also increases. This is because the force holding the molecules together
increases as the size of the molecule increases. Furthermore, some hydrocarbons are gases
because the molecules are small structure and there interaction less among each other, while
some hydrocarbons are liquids because the molecules are big structures and there interact
more with each other and they tend to settle in liquid state.
Now that you have learned about the properties of organic compounds, you will now
proceed to the common types of organic compounds. To find out what are these, try doing
the activity below.
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Activity 3
Common Types of Organic Compounds
Before we can learn what these types are, we should know what a functional group is.
A functional group dictates the physical and chemical characteristics of an organic molecule.
The functional group is a reactive site in an organic molecule, enabling ease of classification
and synthesis of numerous organic compounds. The common functional group and its
representative structures and family are found below.
1. Alcohol - In chemistry, alcohol is any organic compound in which a
hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom, which in turn is
bound to other hydrogen and/or carbon atoms. Alcohols are among
the most common organic compounds. They are used as sweeteners
and in making perfumes, are valuable intermediates in the synthesis
Figure 13. structure
of alcohol
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The Carbon Compounds
Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
of other compounds, and are among the most abundantly produced organic chemicals
in industry. Perhaps the two best-known alcohols are ethanol and methanol (or
methyl alcohol). Ethanol is used in toiletries, pharmaceuticals, and fuels, and it is used
to sterilize hospital instruments. It is, moreover, the alcohol in alcoholic beverages.
Methanol is used as a solvent, as a raw material for the manufacture
of formaldehyde and special resins, in special fuels, in antifreeze, and for cleaning
metals.
Figure 14. applications of alcohol in the Philippines
2. Alkyl Halides - (also known as haloalkanes) are compounds in
which one or more hydrogen atoms in an alkane have been
replaced by halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or
iodine). Alkyl halides are among the most versatile
compounds in the chemical industry. Small haloalkanes are
some of the most commonly used solvents in chemical
laboratories; chlorofluorocarbons have seen widespread use
as refrigerants and propellants; and compounds containing
both Br and F are often used in fire retardants.
Figure 15. tert-butyl
bromide, an alkyl halide
Figure 16. alkyl halide application in aerosols as propellants
3. Ether - any of a class of organic compounds characterized by
an oxygen atom bonded to two alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers are
similar in structure to alcohols, and both ethers and alcohols are
similar in structure to water. In an alcohol one hydrogen atom
of a water molecule is replaced by an alkyl group, whereas in
an ether both hydrogen atoms are replaced by alkyl or aryl
Figure 17. diethyl ether
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The Carbon Compounds
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groups. At room temperature, ethers are pleasant-smelling colorless liquids. Relative
to alcohols, ethers are generally less dense, are less soluble in water, and have
lower boiling points. They are relatively unreactive, and as a result they are useful as
solvents for fats, oils, waxes, perfumes, resins, dyes, gums, and hydrocarbons. Vapors
of certain ethers are used as insecticides, miticides, and fumigants for soil. Ethers are
also important in medicine and pharmacology, especially for use as anesthetics.
Figure 18. uses of ether
4. Aldehyde - any of a class of organic compounds in which a carbon atom shares a
double bond with an oxygen atom, a single bond with
a hydrogen atom, and a single bond with another atom or group
of atoms (designated R in general chemical formulas and
structure diagrams). Many aldehydes have pleasant odors, and in
principle, they are derived from alcohols by dehydrogenation
(removal of hydrogen), from which process came the
Figure 19. aldehyde
name aldehyde. Aldehydes undergo a wide variety of chemical
structure
reactions, including polymerization. Their combination with
other types of molecules produces the so-called aldehyde condensation polymers,
which have been used in plastics such as Bakelite and in the laminate tabletop
material Formica. Aldehydes are also useful as solvents and perfume ingredients and
as intermediates in the production of dyes and pharmaceuticals. Certain aldehydes
are involved in physiological processes. Examples are retinal (vitamin A aldehyde),
important in human vision, and pyridoxal phosphate, one of the forms of vitamin
B6. Glucose and other so-called reducing sugars are aldehydes, as are several natural
and synthetic hormones.
Figure 20. use of formalin or formaldehyde in preserving deceased bodies
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5. Ketone - any of a class of organic compounds characterized by the
presence of a carbonyl group in which the carbon atom is covalently
bonded to an oxygen atom. The remaining two bonds are to other
carbon atoms or hydrocarbon radicals (R). Ketone compounds have
important physiological properties. They are found in Figure 21. ketone
several sugars and in compounds for medicinal use, including natural
and synthetic steroid hormones. Only a small number of ketones are manufactured
on a large scale in industry. They are most widely used as solvents, especially in
industries manufacturing explosives, lacquers, paints, and textiles. Ketones are also
used in tanning, as preservatives, and in hydraulic fluids. The most important ketone
is acetone.
Figure 22. commercial acetone
6. Ester - any of a class of organic compounds that react with
water to produce alcohols and organic or inorganic acids.
Esters derived from carboxylic acids are the most common.
The term ester was introduced in the first half of the 19th
century by German chemist Leopold Gmelin. Ester is a sweetsmelling substance. Some of them are used as food flavorings
Figure 23. ester
and other esters are used as fragrances or perfumes. Apart
from that, they can be turned into polymers dubbed as polyesters which can be used
to make cans or plastic bottles.
Figure 24. perfumes made from ester
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7. Carboxylic Acid - any of a class of organic compounds in which a carbon (C) atom is
bonded to an oxygen (O) atom by a double bond and to a hydroxyl group (―OH) by a
single bond. A fourth bond links the carbon atom to a hydrogen (H) atom or to some
other univalent combining group. The carboxyl (COOH) group is so-named because of
the carbonyl group (C=O) and hydroxyl group. Carboxylic acid derivatives have varied
applications. For example, in addition to its use as a disinfectant, formic acid, the
simplest carboxylic acid, is employed in textile treatment and as an acid reducing
agent. Acetic acid is extensively used in the production of cellulose plastics and
esters. Aspirin, the ester of salicylic acid, is prepared from acetic acid.
Figure 25. vinegar contains acetic acid, a carboxylic acid
8. Amine and amide - Compounds containing a nitrogen atom bonded in a hydrocarbon
framework are classified as amines. Compounds that have a nitrogen atom bonded to
one side of a carbonyl group are classified as amides. Amines are used as analgesic, as
anesthetic, or even as recreational drug. Amides are used to form resilient products
(e.g. nylon).
Figure 26. Methamphetamine, an amine, is an illegal drug that causes hallucinations.
Figure 27. Kevlar fiber made from amides are used as a raw material for combat clothes.
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The Carbon Compounds
Quarter 2, Weeks 4-6
Activity 4
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Pre-Assessment
I. Sentence Completion/Word Pool. Pick your answers from the given word pool.
1. _______ as element is present in sample like charcoal, paper
and even in a precious stone like 2. _________.
3. ________ compounds are carbon compounds which
properties depend on the number of bonds formed. The 4. ________
bonds found in organic or carbon molecules are formed by 5. _________
of electron pairs between atoms.
Atoms with four (4) or more valence electrons like carbon form
as many bonds as they need electrons to fill their valence shells and
thereby reach a stable 6. ______.
Cue words:
carbon
covalent
diamond
four (4)
multiple
octet
organic
sharing
three (3)
It is important to always count the number of bonds of each
particular atom. Carbon should have 7. ______ bonds. Hydrogen has only
one (1) bond, oxygen with two (2) bonds, nitrogen could have 8. ________ bonds, and only
one (1) bond for halogens.
Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, with more than one bond, could possible formed 9.
___________ bond (double or triple bond).
II. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer. Write the corresponding letter of your choice
on the blank provided before each number.
____ 1) Carbon atom forms how many bonds?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
____ 2) Carbon can bond to ?
a. H
b. N
c. O
d. all of these
____ 3) An organic (carbon molecule) bond represents
?
a. a transfer of protons
c. a pair of shared electrons
b. a transfer of electrons
d. a pair of shared protons
____ 4) Most organic compounds have (a. lower; b. higher) boiling and melting point as
compared to inorganic compound.
____ 5) Which of the following pairs is highly flammable?
a. gasoline; acetone
c. oil; vinegar
b. water; ethanol
d. LPG; kerosene
____ 6)Princess wants to remove her nail polish. What must she use?
a. gasoline
c. ethanol
b. vinegar
d. acetone
____ 7) Which alkane would likely to have a very low boiling point?
a. butane
b. hexane
c. pentane
d. propane
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____ 8) What is the common use of methane?
a. disinfectant
c. fertilizer
b. artificial ripening agent
d. fuel
____ 9)How many types of bonds are there in the given hydrocarbon compound:
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
____10) To which group of hydrocarbons does the molecule with the structure below?
a. alkane
b. alkene
c. alkyne
d. none of these
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ANSWER KEY
20