OC Chapter 1

Question 1

What is organic chemistry?

Answer 1

The study of the compounds of carbon

Over 30 million organic compounds have been identified, with about 1000 new ones discovered or synthesized each day.

Question 2

What element is the basis of organic chemistry?

Answer 2

Carbon (C)

Question 3

Why is carbon significant in organic chemistry?

Answer 3

It can share 4 valence electrons and form 4 covalent bonds, allowing for an immense diversity of compounds.

Question 4

What is the diameter of a small dense nucleus?

Answer 4

10^-14 - 10^-15 m

Question 5

What does the extranuclear space contain?

Answer 5

Negatively-charged electrons

Question 6

What are principle energy levels?

Answer 6

Regions of space where electrons are confined around a nucleus.

Question 7

What are orbitals?

Answer 7

Regions of space around a nucleus where electrons are found.

Question 8

What shape do all s orbitals have?

Answer 8

Sphere

Question 9

What is the electron configuration of atoms?

Answer 9

The lowest-energy arrangement of an atom’s electrons in orbitals.

Question 10

What is Rule 1 of electron configuration?

Answer 10

The orbitals of lowest energy are filled first.

Question 11

What is Rule 2 of electron configuration?

Answer 11

Only two electrons can occupy an orbital, and they must be of opposite spin.

Question 12

What is Rule 3 of electron configuration?

Answer 12

If two or more empty orbitals of equal energy are available, one electron occupies each with spins parallel until all orbitals are half-full.

Question 13

What is the valence shell?

Answer 13

The outermost electron shell of an atom.

Question 14

What are valence electrons?

Answer 14

Electrons in the valence shell of an atom, used in forming chemical bonds.

Question 15

What is a Lewis structure?

Answer 15

The symbol of an element surrounded by dots equal to the number of electrons in the valence shell.

Question 16

What is the Octet rule?

Answer 16

The tendency to react in ways that achieve an outer shell of eight valence electrons.

Question 17

What is an ionic bond?

Answer 17

A chemical bond resulting from the electrostatic attraction of an anion and a cation.

Question 18

What happens to an atom that gains electrons?

Answer 18

It becomes an anion.

Question 19

What happens to an atom that loses electrons?

Answer 19

It becomes a cation.

Question 20

What is a covalent bond?

Answer 20

A chemical bond resulting from two atoms sharing one or more pairs of electrons.

Question 21

What is the bond strength of a covalent bond?

Answer 21

436 kJ/mol

Question 22

What is hybridization?

Answer 22

The process of combining atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals.

Question 23

What is the bond strength of a C-H bond in methane?

Answer 23

439 kJ/mol

Question 24

What is the bond strength of a C-C bond in ethane?

Answer 24

377 kJ/mol

Question 25

What is the bond strength of a C=C bond in ethylene?

Answer 25

728 kJ/mol

Question 26

What is the bond strength of a C≡C bond in acetylene?

Answer 26

965 kJ/mol

Question 27

What is electronegativity?

Answer 27

A measure of the force of an atom’s attraction for the electrons it shares in a chemical bond.

Question 28

What defines a polar molecule?

Answer 28

It has polar bonds and the center of partial positive charge lies at a different place than the center of partial negative charge.

Question 29

What is the Bronsted-Lowry definition of acids and bases?

Answer 29

HA + H2O ⇌ A- + H3O+

Question 30

What is the formula for the acid dissociation constant (K_a)?

Answer 30

[A-][H3O+]/[HA]

Question 31

What is a Lewis acid?

Answer 31

A substance that has a vacant valence orbital and can accept an electron pair.

Question 32

What is a Lewis base?

Answer 32

A substance that donates an electron pair.

Question 33

What happens when a Lewis acid and a Lewis base react?

Answer 33

They share the donated pair of electrons in a newly formed covalent bond.