Video Transcript
What are some of the first thoughts that pop into your mind when you hear the word 'organic?' You probably have thoughts of wholesome or pure foods. Now if you were to ask that same question to a chemist, the thoughts would likely be of organic compounds, which are any molecules that are composed of the element carbon. Carbon is the main element in all organic compounds. Not sure what we're talking about yet? Well, let's see if I can help out with that. Ladies, what are your best friends? Diamonds! Diamonds are a pure, crystalline carbon. What did you use on every scantron test you ever took? A pencil! The graphite in pencils is pure carbon as well. I think you get the picture now.
Organic compounds are the basis of the carbon cycle of Earth. The carbon cycle includes various biogeochemical processes that transfer carbon between living and non-living systems. The carbon cycle has existed for billions of years and is crucial to the continuity of life as we know it. That means that carbon is a very important element and organic compounds are very important compounds. But why exactly are they so important? The main reason for the value of carbon is that it can form four bonds at once, allowing it to form complex, flexible molecules.
Let's discuss the simpler types of organic compounds. Simple organic compounds are usually the chemical byproducts of life. Many of these simple organic compounds react strongly with oxygen, causing them to burn rapidly and at a high temperature. Most are even combustible.
You know more about these organic compounds than you think you do. Any time you let one rip, you know, pass gas, especially the really smelly ones, you're emitting methane, which is a simple organic compound. Every time you put gas in your car, you're filling the tank with highly refined waste from organisms that lived and died hundreds of millions of years ago. Gasoline is a mixture of various organic molecules. The kinds of molecules found in methane and gasoline contain only hydrogen and carbon. Organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon are called hydrocarbons.
There are many different groups of hydrocarbons. The three main groups of hydrocarbons are based on whether the carbon of the compound has single, double, or triple bonds. The names of the hydrocarbon groups are similar and may be easily confused. You may find it helpful to create flashcards with the name of the group on one side and the main details about the group on the other side. Study these often.
Our first group of hydrocarbons, alkanes, have single covalent bonds between carbon atoms. Covalent bonds are bonds where electrons are shared between bonding atoms. Hydrogen atoms also bond with the carbon atoms, so the general molecular formula of alkanes is CnH2n+2, where n represents the number of carbon atoms. The simplest alkane and, in fact, the simplest organic compound, is methane. Methane contains one carbon atom, so the number of hydrogen atoms must be (2 x 1 + 2 = 4). So methane's chemical formula is CH4.
Our second group of hydrocarbons, alkenes, are hydrocarbons with carbon atoms joined by at least one carbon double bond. The general formula for alkenes is CnH2n. Ethylene, the simplest alkene, is C2H4. Ripe fruit emits ethylene, which hurries the ripening of other nearby fruit. This is why some food companies use ethylene to artificially ripen fruits. Ethylene is your good friend in other ways as well. You're able to use your car on a freezing winter day thanks to ethylene, which makes up ethylene glycol, the main component in antifreeze.
Our third group of hydrocarbons, alkynes, are hydrocarbons with carbon atoms joined by at least one carbon triple bond. The general formula is CnH2n-2. Acetylene, also called ethyne, is the simplest alkyne, with the formula C2H2. Oxyacetylene was likely a player in putting together the car you drive or the playground equipment your children play on, since it is commonly used in welding torches. Now that we have a grasp on the simple organic compounds, you'll be able to gain an understanding on the much more complex organic compounds. Their importance in your life will become evident very quickly.
We learned that there is so much behind the mean of organic compounds, which are any molecules that are composed of the element carbon. Organic compounds are the basis of Earth's carbon cycle. The next thing we learned is organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon are called hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are grouped according to the number of covalent bonds between carbon atoms. Covalent bonds are bonds where electrons are shared between bonding atoms. The first group is the alkanes, which are hydrocarbons with only single covalent bonds between the carbon atoms. The general molecular formula of alkanes is CnH2n+2. An example is the simplest alkane, with the formula CH4, which is methane. The next group is the alkenes, which are hydrocarbons with carbon atoms joined by at least one carbon double bond. The general formula for alkenes is CnH2n. Ethylene is the simplest alkene, with the formula C2H4. The last group is the alkynes, which are hydrocarbons with carbon atoms joined by at least one carbon triple bond. The general formula is CnH2n-2. Acetylene, also called ethyne, is the simplest alkyne, with the formula C2H2.
You can expect to finish this lesson on simple organic compounds with the ability to:
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