EXPERIMENT NO.

1
PROPERTIES AND DETECTION OF CARBON IN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

INTRODUCTION

Organic chemistry is the study of the compounds of carbon. There are millions of carbon-
containing compounds, which include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, hormones, enzymes,
drugs, wool, silk, cotton, linen, nylon, rayon, Dacron, perfumes, dyes, flavors, soaps, detergents, plastics,
gasoline, and oils. This branch of chemistry is fundamental to biology and medicine. Living organisms are
chiefly made up of organic compounds, aside from water.
Carbon atoms can attach themselves to one another to an extent not possible from atoms of
any other element. A carbon atom can form chains – thousands of atoms long or rings of all sizes. These
chains and rings can have branches and crosslinks that are attached to other atoms like – hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, halogens (chlorine, fluorine, bromine, iodine), and many others.
Each different arrangement of atoms corresponds to a different compound with a unique set of
characteristics and properties. It is therefore not surprising that more than a million compounds of
carbon are known today and thousands of new ones are being synthesized.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the activity, the students should be able to:

1. Detect the presence of carbon in organic samples.

2. Recognize some common properties of carbon.
3. Determine some commercial uses of carbon.

MATERIALS

APPARATUS CHEMICALS
1 Bunsen burner 1 rubber stopper/cork 30 ml lightly colored KMnO4 soln
1 rubber tubing 1 filter paper 5 ml conc. Ammonium hydroxide
1 test tube holder 2 pcs parafilm 5 ml chlorofom
6 25 ml test tubes 1 crucible tongs 5 ml dilute nitric acid (HNO3)
1 funnel 5 tansan/tin cap 5 g animal charcoal
1 tripod 5 g iodoform
2 pcs. Copper wire
PROCEDURE

1. PROCEDURE OF CARBON IN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

a. Obtain small samples of each of the following: bread, cloth, plastic, paper, and sugar.
b. Heat strongly each of the above samples in a tin cap or tansan until no further change is
observed on the sample during heating. Observe and record the final appearance of the
sample in Table 1 of the Activity Sheet.

2. PROPERTIES OF CARBON

a. Half-fill a big test tube with a lightly colored KMOnO4 solution. Add a pinch of animal
charcoal and warm carefully for 2 minutes and filter. Compare the color of the filtrate with
that of the original solution.
b. Half-fill 2 big test tubes with water and add 2 drops of concentrated ammonium hydroxide
into each tube. Waft the fumes near your nose and take note of the odor. Cover with
parafilm. Set aside the first test tube. Into the second test tube, add a pinch of animal
charcoal, cover and shake thoroughly for a minute. Take note of the smell. Compare 2 test
tubes.
Name: ___________________________________ Rating: ____________
Group No.: ____________ Date Performed: ____________

EXPERIMENT NO.10 ACTIVITY SHEET

PROPERTIES AND DETECTION OF CARBON IN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

1. Presence of Carbon in Organic Compounds

Samples Observation after heating strongly

1. Bread

2. Cloth

3. Paper

4. Plastic

5. sugar

What is the substance left after heating the samples thoroughly?

2. Properties of Carbon
a. Compare the color of KMnO4 solution before and after the addition of animal charcoal.

b. Compare the odor of NH4OH before and after the addition of animal charcoal.

3. Explain the results obtained in Procedure 2.