Carbon and its Compounds
This section emphasizes the significance of carbon in organic chemistry. Carbon is critical due to its tetravalency, enabling it to form a wide variety of compounds. The trends include:
Bonding in Carbon
Understanding how carbon bonds using covalent bonds is essential. Carbon forms stable bonds by sharing its four valence electrons with other atoms. The forms this can take include:
- Single Bonds: Formed when two atoms share one pair of electrons (e.g. CH₄ - methane).
- Double Bonds: Formed when two pairs of electrons are shared (e.g. C₂H₄ - ethene).
- Triple Bonds: Formed with three pairs of electrons (e.g. C₂H₂ - ethyne).
Allotropes of Carbon
Carbon can exist in different structural forms:
- Diamond: Atoms bonded tetrahedrally, resulting in extreme hardness.
- Graphite: Carbon atoms arranged in planes, excellent electrical conductivity.
- Fullerenes: Molecules composed entirely of carbon, e.g., C₆₀ (Buckminsterfullerene).
Versatile Nature of Carbon
Carbon exhibits catenation, allowing it to form long chains, rings, and branched structures—giving rise to hydrocarbons. Functional groups such as alcohols, aldehydes, and acids lead to organic chemistry's diversity. This section discusses how reactions (oxidation, combustion, addition, substitution) provide insights into carbon compounds' behavior in various contexts.
Importance in Various Fields
From fuels to pharmaceuticals, carbon compounds are integral to daily life and technology, highlighting the need to understand their properties and interactions.