Ch.4 test questions

Which of the following characteristics is responsible for the complexity and variety of organic molecules?

the chemical versatility of carbon atoms

Variations in the reactive properties of different organic molecules are most closely associated with __________.

the presence or absence of functional groups

Organic chemistry is currently defined as

the study of carbon compounds

Which of the following best describes cis-trans isomers?

they differ in their spatial arrangement around inflexible double bonds

Citric acid makes lemons taste sour. Which of the following is a functional group that would cause a molecule such as citric acid to be acidic?

carboxyl

Most organic compounds contain which atoms?

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen

Visualize the structural formula of each of the following hydrocarbons. Which hydrocarbon has a double bond in its carbon skeleton?

C2H4

Which of the following is a hydrocarbon?

C3H8

Variation in carbon chains is an important source of molecular complexity. How can carbon skeletons vary?

Carbon skeletons can vary in length, exhibit different branching structures, contain double bonds at different positions, and contain rings of carbon atoms

The large diversity of shapes of biological molecules is possible because of the extensive presence of __________ in the molecules.

carbon

Which complex organic molecules were synthesized in Miller's experiment?

formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, amino acids, hydrocarbons

Molecules that have the same chemical formula (same numbers of each type of atom) but different three-dimensional shapes are called __________.

isomers

Miller's classic experiment demonstrated that a discharge of sparks through a mixture of gases could result in the formation of a large variety of organic compounds. Miller did not use which one of the following gases in his experiment?

oxygen

What functional group is commonly used in cells to transfer energy from one organic molecule to another?

phosphate