Ch 11: Organic Compounds - Alkanes

Saturated hydrocarbon

A hydrocarbon in which all the bonds between carbon atoms are single bonds

Alkanes can be represented by the formula

C(n)H(2n+2)

Hydrocarbon

Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen

Structural isomers

Compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangements of their atoms.

Expanded structural formulas show

all covalent bonds

Cycloalkanes

are alkanes in which the carbon atoms form a ring

The properties of organic and inorganic compounds often differ, largely as a result of

bonding differences

Organic compounds contain

carbon

Large numbers of organic compounds are possible because

carbon atoms link to form chains and networks

Organic chemistry is the study of

carbon-containing compounds

All organic compounds are grouped into classes based on

characteristic features called functional groups

Alkanes are relatively unreactive and remain unchanged by most reagents. The reaction that is most significant is

combusion

Isomers are

compounds that have the same molecular formula but different arrangements of atoms

Rotation about the single bonds between carbon atoms allows alkanes to exist in many different

conformations

Organic compounds contain primarily

covalent bonds

However, the only cycloalkane that is actually planar is

cycloprane

Branched isomers

don't have straight chains

Because rotation about the single bonds in the ring is restricted, certain distributed cycloalkanes can exist as

geometric (cis-trans) isomers

Alkyl groups

groups of atoms that are formed when one hydrogen atom is removed from an alkane molecule

Normal alkanes

have straight chains

Alkanes are

hydrocarbons that contain only single covalent bonds

In organic compounds,

ionic bonding is more prevalent

Another reason organic compounds are prevalent is because of

isomerism

Condensed structural formulas show

no covalent bonds or only selected bonds

Inorganic chemistry is the study of the elements and all

noncarbon elements

The physical properties of alkanes are typical of all hydrocarbons:

nonpolar, insoluble in water, less dense than water, and increasing melting and boiling points with increasing molecular weight

The carbon atom rings of cycloalkanes are usually shown as

planar

Alkanes possess a 3D geometry in which each carbon is

surrounded by four bonds directed to the corners of a tetrahedron

Compounds with their functional groups are represented by

two types of structural formulas