Test 1 Flashcards
define organic chemistry
the study of compounds containing carbon
why is carbon the most abundant element in living things?
- unique bonding properties and forms covalent bonds with a wide diversity of elements
- each carbon atom may form up to 4 covalent bonds
- can form chains, rings, and complex molecules
- carbon compounds show remarkable variation in structure: may be flat or 3D
define hydrocarbons
organic compounds made up of only carbon and hydrogen
alkanes
- only C-C bonds
- general formula CnH2n+2
alkenes
- contain a C=C bond
alkynes
- contain a C≡C bond
state the four kinds of orbitals for electrons, arranged from lowest energy to highest energy
s, p, d, and f
where is the probability of finding an electron highest?
near the nucleus; the probability decreases as the distance from the nucleus increases
shape of an s orbital
spherical
shape of p orbitals
- dumbbell shapes of two lobes separated by a region of zero electron density (a node)
- lobes are either + or - (one orbital is assigned a positive phase, the other negative)
- 2px, 2py, and 2pz are perpendicular and equal energy (degenerate)
rules for filling the ground-state electron configuration (lowest energy arrangement)
- lowest energy orbitals fill first (1s->2s etc)
- maximum of two spin paired electrons can occupy an orbital (Pauli exclusion principle), with one electron up and the other down
- if two or more empty orbitals of equal energy are available, electrons occupy each one with spins parallel until all orbitals have one electron
why do valence electrons participate in bonding?
as they are less stable
why do bonds form?
because molecules have a lower energy than individual atoms
ionic bonding
- electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions
- bond forms from electron transfer
covalent bonding
- sharing of electrons between atoms
- each bonding atom usually contributes one electron to the new bond (opposite spin)
sigma bond
- type of covalent bond
- head on orbital overlap
- s-s, s-p, p-p overlap
pi bond
- type of covalent bond
- side-to-side orbital overlap
- p-p orbitals
electronegativity
the ability of an atom to pull electrons toward itself through a bond
give the formula for Formal charge
FC = (group #) - (# of bonds) - (# non-bonded electrons)
define VSEPR
Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory
the most stable structure is the one which valence electron pairs (bonding pair or lone pair of electrons) are as far apart as possible to minimise electron-electron repulsion
3 possible structural geometries of carbon
- tetrahedral
- trigonal planar
- linear
tetrahedral
- four groups around carbon are equally distributed in a pyramid arrangement
- bond angle of about 109’ between atoms
trigonal planar
- three groups around carbon are equally distributed in the same plane (flat)
- bond angle of about 120’ between atoms
linear
- two groups around carbon are equally distributed in a line
- bond angle of 180’ between atoms