Organic Chemistry
Allotropes of Carbon
• Allotropes are forms of the same element
that have different bonding patterns
• Examples: Diamond, Graphite, Amorphous
Carbon, Fullerenes (buckyballs)
• What makes carbon so special is its half
filled valance level and small size.
• 4 valance electrons…can bond with a
single, double, or triple bond.
• Carbon most commonly bonds to itself and
then forms long chains and rings.
Organic Chemistry
• The study of the thousands of carboncontaining compounds.
• A general rule an organic molecule is one
that contains carbon
– Exceptions to that rule are oxides of carbon
(CO, CO2) and when you have the carbonate
ion CO3-2
Properties of Organic Molecules
• They are insoluble in water, have a low
melting and boiling point, and form
combustion reactions with oxygen.
Hydrocarbons
• Organic molecules that contain only
carbon and hyrdrogen
• CH4 C2H6
Properties of Hydrocarbons
• HC’s only contain two types of bond C-C
or C-H
• HC’s have low density, low melting and
boiling points, and they don’t dissolve in
water
Properties of Hydrocarbons
• Most hydrocarbons exist deep in deposits
of natural gas and petroleum
• Both natural gas and petroleum were
formed from the compressed and
decomposed remains of ancient plants
and animals and are called fossil fuels.
Hydrocarbons structure and
formulas
• Carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon can form
single, double, or triple bonds and can
make straight chains, branched chains,
and rings
Hydrocarbons structure and
formulas
• Molecular formula= CH4,C2H6,
• Structural Formula= on board
• Condensed structural formula=on board
Alkanes
• Any type of carbon bonding that have only single bonds
in them.
• 1 carbon 4 hydrogens= Methane
• 2 C 6 H = ethane
• 3 C 8 H = propane
• 4 C 10 H = butane
• 5 C 12 H = pentane
• 6 C 14 H = hexane
• 7 C 16 H = Heptane
• 8 C 18 H = Octane
• 9 C 20 H = Nonane
• 10 C 22 H = Decane