Unit 7 - Organic Chemistry Flashcards

1
Q

What is crude oil?

A

Crude oil is a mixture of compounds; a fossil fuel consisting of the remains of
ancient biomass.
Finite resource - cannot be replaced as it is used up.

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2
Q

What is a hydrocarbon?

A

A compound made up exclusively of hydrogen and carbon atoms

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3
Q

What are alkanes?

A

Saturated hydrocarbons of a general formula Cn
H2n+2

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4
Q

What is a homologous
series?

A

Series of compounds with same general formula, same functional groups and
similar chemical properties.

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5
Q

Describe the combustion of
hydrocarbons

A
  • Exothermic reaction occurring when hydrocarbons are reacted with oxygen.
  • Complete combustion produces carbon dioxide and water (carbon and
    hydrogen atoms are completely oxidised).
  • Incomplete combustion produces carbon or carbon monoxide and water.
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6
Q

Describe the physical
properties of alkanes

A
  • First few in series are gases, then change to liquids, then to solids.
  • In general, boiling points and viscosity increase as molecules get bigger.
  • Volatility and flammability decrease as molecules get bigger.
  • Poor reactivity.
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7
Q

Explain how fractional
distillation of crude oil takes
place

A
  • Crude oil is heated and vaporised.
  • Vapor rises up the fractionating column (tower).
  • The column is hotter at the bottom and cooler at the top.
  • Hydrocarbons cool as they go up the column and condense at
    different heights, as they have different boiling points.
  • Large molecules, high boiling points - collected at the bottom.
  • Small molecules, low boiling points - collected at the top.
  • This gives fractions, which can be used in various ways.
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8
Q

What is cracking?

A

When large hydrocarbons are thermally broken down into smaller and useful
molecules

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9
Q

What type of reaction is
cracking?

A

Thermal decomposition

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10
Q

What are the conditions for
cracking?

A

Reactant heated to vapor, passed over a hot catalyst (catalytic cracking) or heated
to vapor, mixed with steam and heated to high temperatures (steam cracking)

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11
Q

How are the products of
cracking used?

A

The products are alkanes and alkenes – used as polymers and starting materials
for synthesis.

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12
Q

What is an alkene?

A

Unsaturated hydrocarbon. Contains a C=C bond.
General formula for alkenes is: C
n
H2n.

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13
Q

What is the test for alkenes?

A

Add bromine water. Colour change occurs from orange to colourless.

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14
Q

Describe the combustion of
alkenes

A

They burn with smoky flames due to incomplete combustion

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15
Q

Describe addition reactions
of alkenes

A

Addition atoms across the carbon-carbon double bond so that the double bond
becomes a single carbon-carbon bond.
a) With hydrogen - hydrogenation; requires a higher temperature and a nickel
catalyst
b) With steam - hydration; requires high temperature, pressure, and
concentrated phosphoric acid (H3PO4
) as a catalyst
c) With Br2
/Cl2
/I2
- addition of halogens

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16
Q

What is an alcohol?

A

An organic compound that contains an -OH functional group

17
Q

State characteristics of
methanol, ethanol, propanol
and butanol

A
  • Dissolve in water to form a neutral solution.
  • React with sodium to form hydrogen.
  • Burn in oxygen.
  • React with carboxylic acids in presence of acid catalyst to form esters.
18
Q

Oxidation of the alcohols
leads to…?

A

Carboxylic acids

19
Q

What are some uses of
alcohols?

A
  • Fuels
  • Solvents
  • Drinks
20
Q

State the conditions required for
fermentation of glucose and state the
equation of the reaction

A

30 degrees Celsius, aqueous solution of the glucose, absence of air, yeast added;
C6H12O6
→ 2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO

21
Q

What are carboxylic acids?

A

Organic compounds that contain a COOH functional group

22
Q

State characteristics of
carboxylic acids

A
  • Dissolve in water to form an acidic solution (contains H+
    ions)
  • React with metal carbonates to form carbon dioxide
  • React with alcohols with an acid catalyst to produce esters
  • React with metals to give off hydrogen gas
23
Q

State characteristics of
carboxylic acids

A
  • Dissolve in water to form an acidic solution (contains H+
    ions)
  • React with metal carbonates to form carbon dioxide
  • React with alcohols with an acid catalyst to produce esters
  • React with metals to give off hydrogen gas
24
Q

What type of acid is
carboxylic acid?

A

What type of acid is
carboxylic acid?

25
Q

Explain why carboxylic
acids are weak acids?

A

They are partially dissociated in water, thus the pH of a carboxylic acid in
solution is not as low as a solution of a strong acid of the same
concentration.

26
Q

What is an ester and how is it
formed? What is characteristic
about this class of
compounds?

A

An organic compound containing a -COO- functional group, formed from
carboxylic acid and alcohol in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst.
They have a fruity smell.

27
Q

What is a polymer? How do
molecules containing C=C
bond form polymers?

A

A polymer is a long chain molecule which is made by lots of smaller molecules
joining together.
C=C bonds open up and many smaller molecules (monomers) join together to
form a chain (a polymer). No other products are made.
It is called an “addition polymerisation” reaction.

28
Q

Give 3 examples of addition
polymers and their uses.

A

Polyethene - plastic bags
(Poly)tetrafluoroethene (PTFE) - teflon surfaces, for use in non-stick kitchenware
(Poly)chloroethene (polyvinylchloride, PVC) - water pipes

29
Q

What is a repeating unit of a
polymer?

A

It is a smallest structure which, upon numerous translations, yields the structure of
the polymer.
In addition polymers: to draw it, take a monomer, change C=C to C-C and show
additional single bonds extending away from these carbons.

30
Q

What is a condensation
polymer? How is it made?
There are 2 main groups -
name them and give industrially
relevant examples

A

It is a polymer made in condensation polymerisation.
In this reaction, many molecules join together; the polymer is formed, but also a
small molecule is released, e.g. H2O, HCl.
Polyesters, e.g. terylene.
Polyamides, e.g. Nylon.

31
Q

What is an amide bond?

A

An amide bond is similar to the ester bond, with O replaced by N, e.g.
(C=O)-NH2
Just like an ester, it contains the C=O group.

32
Q

What is an amino acid?

A

It is an organic compound that contains both a carboxylic acid functionality
(COOH) and an amine functional group (-NH2
).

33
Q

How do amino acids make
proteins? What are
polypeptides?

A

By numerous condensation polymerisation reactions; proteins are polymers made
of amino acids (monomers).
*Polypeptides are also made by condensation polymerisation of amino acids, but
are shorter than proteins. One could think about proteins as a product of many
polypeptide chains bonded together.

34
Q

What are carbohydrates?

A

They are organic molecules made of C,H, and O. They are biologically relevant,
e.g. starch and cellulose.
Both of these are polymers made of glucose (other carbohydrate) monomers.
Their structures differ in the way the glucose molecules are joined together.

35
Q

What is DNA? Describe its
role and structure.

A

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a material that makes up chromosomes - cell
structures that store genetic information.
DNA is made of two polymer chains that are held together in a double helix.
Each polymer chain can be made from 4 different monomers - nucleotides.