Introduction to Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds. Carbons also form multiple covalent bonds. Carbon compounds can form chains, rings or branches. There are less than 100,000 non-organic compounds. Organic compounds number more than 17 million. The simplest organic compounds are made of carbon and hydrogen.

• Saturated compounds have no double or triple bonds.
• Compounds with only: single bonds -> Alkanes, double bonds -> Alkenes, triple bonds -> Alkynes
• ISOMER: Two compounds with the same empirical formula

Example:

• Name the alkane:

                       

Nomenclature:

There are 3 categories of organic compound:

• Straight
• Cyclic chains
• Aromatics

Straight Chains:

1.) Circle the longest continual chain and name this as the base chain. They can bend and twist.
2.) Number the base chains so side chains have the lowest possible numbers.
3.) Name each side chain using the "-yl" ending.
4.) Give each side chain the appropriate number.
      ->if there is more than one identical
          side chain, number/labels are slightly different.
5.) List side chains alphabetically.

A video on straight chains:

- George Spencer