Sci Reviewer 3

Carbon 
 6th element in the periodic table with the element symbol C. 
 It is known as the primary element in most compounds due to its ability to form stable compounds
with any elements.
 It is one of the primary elements of life.

Carbon Compounds 
 also known as organic compounds (a large class of compounds which are primarily composed of carbon
that are chemically bonded with hydrogen and other elements like oxygen sulfur, and

nitrogen). 
 are compounds that contain carbon atoms.
 Contain carbon and hydrogen combined with other elements : oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and
halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine)
 can be also categorized into two; Organic and Inorganic Carbon compounds.

Carbon Compounds: Organic and Inorganic

Organic Carbon Compounds 

 produced naturally by living organisms but can also be produced artificially.

 are composed of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen and other elements.

Inorganic Carbon Compounds - are carbon compounds that do not contain hydrogen.

Carbon Bonding 
 Carbon forms covalent bonds, meaning they don't lose or gain electrons but share them.
 A stable molecule occurs when the valence shell of eight electrons has been achieved for all atoms in a
molecule.

PROPERTIES OF CARBON COMPOUNDS 

 Soluble in non-polar solvents
 Low boiling points
 Low melting points
 Highly flammable
 React slower than inorganic compounds.
 Poor conductors of heat
 Poor conductors of electricity
 Get easily oxidized when subjected to combustion.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF CARBON COMPOUNDS 

Combustion (Burning compound in air) - burning carbon compounds in excess of oxygen to give heat and
light is called a combustion reaction.

Oxidation (addition of oxygen) - defined as the addition of oxygen to a molecule or the removal of
hydrogen from a molecule. 

Addition Reaction - a process by which the double or triple bonds are fully or partially broken in order to
accommodate additional atoms or groups of atoms in the molecule.

Substitution Reaction - A reaction in which a less reactive atom or a group of atoms in an organic
molecule gets replaced by another more reactive atom or group of atoms is called a substitution reaction. It
is a type of single displacement reaction.

CARBON STRUCTURES AND TYPES OF BONDS 

Carbon Structures 
*Structures constructed of the element carbon are known as carbon structures. Carbon allotropes are the
collective name for these structures. One of two or more distinct forms of the same element is called an
allotrope.*

TYPES OF CARBON-BASED STRUCTURES 

Straight Chains 
 A straight-chain compound consists of carbon atoms connected in a continuous straight line. / Carbon
atoms are joined together in a continuous straight line to form a straight-chain molecule.

Rings 
contains six carbon atoms in a ring, each bonded in a tetrahedral arrangement, as in the hydrocarbon
cyclohexane.

Branched Chains 
 Branched hydrocarbons are any hydrocarbons that contain branches of C atoms connected to a chain. 
WAYS CARBON ATOMS CAN BOND (ALLOTROPES) 
Diamond
 forms 4 covalent bonds with 4 other atoms in a tetrahedral shape.
 Creates a giant structure as the bonding involves many carbon atoms making it a very hard structure.
 an allotrope of carbon where each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atom
 hard 
 have high melting and boiling point 
 are poor conductor of electricity

Fullerene 
 a form of carbon having a large spheroidal molecule consisting of a hollow cage of sixty or more
atoms.
 May contain rings of five or seven carbons.

TWO TYPES OF FULLERENE STRUCTURE 

Buckyball (buckministerfullerene) 
 a spherical molecular formula of the formula C60
 has low melting and boiling point

Nanotubes 
 are formed from graphene sheets and roll into cylindrical shape
 can be very long therefore can have a long length to diameter ratio 

TYPES OF BONDS 

Single Bonds 
 forms when carbon shares one pair of electrons with another atom.
 represents the longest covalent bond formed by carbon in terms of length.
 also has the lowest bond energy.
  the most stable because it has a lower reactivity level
 takes less energy to break apart than a double or triple bond.
 Symbol: (-) 

Double Bonds 
 forms when carbon shares two pairs of electrons with another atom.
 shorter in length than a single bond and also possesses a stronger bond strength. 
 takes more energy to break apart than a single bond.
 less stable because of its greater reactivity than a single bond.
 Symbol: (=) 

Triple Bonds 
 forms when carbon shares three pairs of electrons with another atom.
 is the shortest and the strongest in terms of bond energy.
 requires the most energy to break apart.
 the least stable of the three general types of covalent bonds
 Symbol: (≡)

Bond Energy - refers to the strength of a bond between two atoms.

Carbon Bond - a carbon carbon bond is a covalent bond between two carbon atoms, composed of two
electrons, one from each of the two atoms. 

Hydrocarbons
 a specific group of organic compounds which contain hydrogen and carbon only. 
 Hydrocarbon can be divided into two: Saturated and Unsaturated 
Saturated Hydrocarbon - contains only single bonds and are classified as alkanes.
Unsaturated Hydrocarbon - contains one or multiple bonds and are classified as alkenes (double bonds)
and alkynes (triple bonds) 

BASIC GROUPS OF HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS 

Alkanes 
Hydrocarbons that have single bonds between carbon atoms.
General Formula: CnH2n+2

Alkenes 
Hydrocarbons that have double bonds between carbon atoms.
General Formula: CnH2n

Alkynes 
Hydrocarbons that have triple bonds between carbon atoms.
General Formula: CnH2n-2

Structural formula 
The structural formula of a chemical compound is a graphic representation of the molecular structure,
showing how the atoms are possibly arranged in the real three-dimensional space. The chemical bonding

within the molecule is also shown, either explicitly or implicitly. 

Expanded structural formula - shows all of the bonds connecting all of the atoms in the compound. 

Condensed structural formula - shows all atoms, but omits some or all of the vertical and horizontal bonds. It
makes it easier to write the formula in a line. 
Here are the different ways condensed structural formula can be represented:

Hydrocarbon Prefixes
1 – meth
2 – eth
3 – prop
4 – but
5 – pent
6 – hex
7 – hept
8 – oct
9 – non
10 – dec

Hydrocarbon Formulas:
Alkane – C n H (2) n+2
Alkene – C n H (2) n
Alkyne – C n H (2) n-2

Example:
C4 H10 – butane
Expanded structural formula:
Condensed structural formula: