Which of the following lists correctly identifies the atoms present in the four major organic functional groups: alcohol, aldehyde, carboxylic acid, and amine?
Identify the atoms present in each functional group by analyzing their general structures. Remember that organic functional groups always contain carbon (C) as part of their backbone.
For an alcohol, the functional group is a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a carbon atom. Therefore, the atoms involved are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).
An aldehyde contains a carbonyl group (C=O) with a hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon. Thus, the atoms present are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).
A carboxylic acid has a carboxyl group (-COOH), which includes a carbonyl (C=O) and a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to the same carbon. This means it contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O).
An amine contains a nitrogen atom (N) bonded to carbon and hydrogen atoms. Therefore, the atoms present are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N).