Introduction to Organic Chemistry
The following topics are covered in this Section:
- Basic concepts
- Alkenes
- Hydrocarbons from oil
- Alcohols
- Alkane
- Halogenoalkanes
Basic concepts
- After studying this section you should be able to:
- understand the different types of formula used for organic compound
- understand the terms saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon
- understand what is meant by structural isomerism
- recognise the alkanes and alkyl groups
- understand what is meant by a homologous series
- recognise common functional groups
- apply rules for naming simple organic compounds
- understand the difference between homolytic and heterolytic fission
- calculate percentage yields
Types of formula
In organic chemistry, there are many ways of representing a formula.
For the compound butane, with 4 carbon atoms and 10 hydrogen atoms:
![](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/revisionworld/imce/types%20of%20formula.jpg?itok=zm5mtx3u)
Carbon chains
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are compounds of carbon and hydrogen only.
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A saturated hydrocarbon has single bonds only.
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An unsaturated hydrocarbon contains a multiple carbon carbon bond.
Alkanes
Carbon atoms can bond with other carbon atoms to form an enormous range of compounds with different carbon-chain lengths. The simplest organic compounds are a family of saturated hydrocarbons called the alkanes, shown below.
Note the following points.
- The name of the alkane ends with –ane.
- The prefixes (meth-, eth-, …) are used to represent the number of carbon atoms. You will need to use these many times in organic chemistry and they must be learnt.
General formula
Homologous series
![](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/revisionworld/imce/homolgous%20series_0.jpg?itok=uGiCRFuu)
Note that physical properties, such as boiling point and density, do gradually change as the length of the carbon chain increases.