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