Basics of Organic Chemistry

• explain that there are many organic compounds because carbon atoms can form four bonds

• recall the formulae of methane, ethane, propane, ethene and propene, and draw the structures of their molecules.

By the end of these two pages you should be able to:

C2.5.1 Targets

Basics of Organic Chemistry

‘Organic’

‘Organic’

carbon atom

hydrogen atom

carbon atom

oxygen atomhydrogen atom

carbon atom

oxygen atomhydrogen atom

nitrogen atom

carbon atom

oxygen atomhydrogen atom

nitrogen atom

carbon atom

oxygen atomhydrogen atom

nitrogen atom

sulphur atom

carbon atom

oxygen atomhydrogen atom

nitrogen atom

carbon atom

oxygen atom

hydrogen atom

nitrogen atom

sulphur atom

all are non-metals

Organic Compounds

CARBON

Organic Compounds

What is so special about carbon?

• forms 4 bonds with other non-metals and itself

so, form molecules with…chains,

branches,

rings of atoms

Organic Compounds

alkanes

Important families of hydrocarbons

alkenes

carbon atoms joined to each other by SINGLE bonds to form chainse.g. propane

two of the carbon atoms in the molecule joined to each other by a DOUBLE bonde.g. butene

Organic CompoundsDrawing simplified molecular structures

C C C

H

H

H

H H

H

H H

1. Write the correct number of C’s in a line

2. Draw a bond between each carbon atom

3. Add enough bonds so that each C has four4. Write an H on the end of each bond

a DISPLAYED formula

C3H8

a MOLECULAR formula

e.g. PROPANE, an alkane

in an alkane the number of H’s is always 2xC’s + 2

Organic CompoundsDrawing simplified molecular structures

C C C C

1. Write the correct number of C’s in a line

2. Draw a DOUBLE bond between two of the C’s and a single bond between the other carbon atoms

3. Add enough bonds so that each C has four4. Write an H on the end of each bond

H

H H H

H H

H

H

C4H8

e.g. BUTENE, an alkene

in an alkene the number of H’s is always 2xC’s

Organic CompoundsDrawing simplified molecular structures

C C C C

1. Write the correct number of C’s in a line

2. Draw a DOUBLE bond between two of the C’s and a single bond between the other carbon atoms

3. Add enough bonds so that each C has four4. Write an H on the end of each bond

H

H H H

H H

H

H

C4H8

e.g. PENTANE, an alkane

in an alkene the number of H’s is always 2xC’s

C