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Organic Chemistry Fundamentals

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Terms in this set (22)

  • What is Organic Chemistry?

    Organic Chemistry is the study of carbon compounds, their properties, structure, reactivity, preparation, and applications.

  • What defines an organic compound?

    An organic compound must contain carbon and primarily have covalent bonds with elements like H, O, N, P, S, halogens, and some metals.

  • Name an important historical synthesis in organic chemistry.

    Friedrich Wöhler was the first to synthesize an organic compound (urea) from an inorganic source (ammonium cyanate) in 1828.

  • What are the main types of hydrocarbons?

    Hydrocarbons are classified as aliphatic (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes) and cyclic (cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, aromatics).

  • General formula for alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes?

    Alkanes: \(C_nH_{2n+2}\), Alkenes: \(C_nH_{2n}\), Alkynes: \(C_nH_{2n-2}\).

  • What are alkyl halides?

    Alkyl halides (RX) are hydrocarbons where one or more hydrogens are replaced by halogens (X = F, Cl, Br, I).

  • Define heterocyclic compounds.

    Heterocyclic compounds are cyclic compounds containing atoms other than carbon in the ring, such as N, O, S, or P.

  • List families of oxygen-containing organic compounds.

    Includes alcohols (R–OH), phenols (Ar–OH), ethers (R–O–R'), aldehydes (R–CHO), ketones (R–CO–R'), carboxylic acids (R–COOH), esters (R–COOR'), acid amides, and acid halides.

  • What are sulfur-containing organic compounds?

    Families include thiols (R–SH), thioethers (R–S–R'), sulfinic acids (R–SO–OH), sulfonic acids (R–SO2–OH), disulfides (R–S–S–R'), and others.

  • What are organometallic compounds?

    Organic compounds containing metals with partly covalent or ionic bonds, e.g., Grignard reagents (R–Mg–X) and metal acetylides (M–C≡C).

  • What is a functional group?

    A functional group is an atom or group of atoms responsible for the characteristic reactions of a compound class.

  • Describe molecular formula vs structural formula.

    Molecular formula shows element types and counts; structural formula shows how atoms are bonded.

  • What is a Lewis dot structure?

    A representation of an atom or molecule showing valence electrons as dots around element symbols.

  • What is the octet rule?

    Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to have eight valence electrons, achieving noble gas configuration.

  • Define formal charge.

    Formal charge = valence electrons - (nonbonding electrons + 1/2 bonding electrons); used to determine charge distribution in molecules.

  • What is electronegativity and its periodic trend?

    Electronegativity is an atom's ability to attract electrons; it increases left to right across a period and bottom to top in a group.

  • Difference between ionic, polar covalent, and nonpolar covalent bonds?

    Ionic bonds form by electron transfer; polar covalent bonds share electrons unequally; nonpolar covalent bonds share electrons equally.

  • What is a sigma (σ) bond?

    A covalent bond formed by head-to-head overlap of atomic orbitals with electron density along the bond axis.

  • What is a pi (π) bond?

    A covalent bond formed by sidewise overlap of p orbitals with electron density above and below the bond axis.

  • How does bond order affect bond length and strength?

    Higher bond order means shorter bond length and stronger bond strength (Triple > Double > Single).

  • What is hybridization?

    Mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals with different shapes and energies, e.g., sp3 (tetrahedral), sp2 (trigonal planar), sp (linear).

  • What is VSEPR theory?

    Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory predicts molecular shapes by minimizing repulsion between electron pairs around a central atom.