Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry

What are Organic Compounds?

All living things on Earth are made of carbon-containing compounds and it is Carbon's ability to bond easily and form compounds that makes it the basis of life on Earth.

Carbon has four electrons (or arms) allowing it to form 4 covalent bonds

Carbon atoms have four electrons in their outer energy level, and so they can form four covalent bonds with as many as four other atoms. When carbon atoms form four covalent bonds, they then obtain the stability of a noble gas. One of carbon's most frequent partners in forming covalent bonds is hydrogen.

Most of the substances associated with living things contain both Carbon and Hydrogen, and in turn, these substances are known as Organic Compounds.

Questions:

1. Are all compounds that contain Carbon necessarily Organic? If not, what are some exceptions?
2. How many electrons does a Carbon atom gain to obtain the stability of a noble gas?
3. What are some other frequent partners of Carbon? (List two.)

Reference:

• Werwa, E., & Zike, D. (2005). Carbon Chemistry. Chemistry (p. 96). New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
• Carbon's Uniqueness. (n.d.).DrB - Biology. Retrieved July 5, 2011, from drb-biology.wikispaces.com/file/view/c

10 Cool Facts...

that you probably didn't know about Carbon...

Clear Diamond (left) and Black Graphite (right) [Refer to Fact #5]

1. Carbon is the basis for organic chemistry.
2. Carbon is a nonmetal that can bond with itself and other chemical elements, forming nearly ten million compounds.
3. Elemental carbon can take the form of one of the hardest substances (diamond) and one of the softest (graphite).
4. Carbon is made in the interiors of stars.
5. Carbon compounds have limitless uses. In its elemental form, diamond is a gemstone that can be used for drilling/cutting; graphite is used in pencils, as a lubricant, and to protect against rust; while charcoal is used to remove toxins, tastes, and odors. 
6. Carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of all elements. The melting point of diamond is ~3550°C, with the sublimation point of carbon being around 3800°C.
7. Pure carbon exists free in nature and has been known since prehistoric times.
8. The origin of the name 'carbon' comes from the Latin word carbo, for charcoal. 
9. Pure carbon is considered non-toxic, although inhalation of fine particles, such as soot, can damage lung tissue.
10. Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe (hydrogen, helium, and oxygen are found in higher amounts, by mass).

Questions:

1. Does Carbon occur in all living things?
2. What is the sublimation point of an element?
3. What are the elements found in higher amounts than Carbon in the universe?

References:

• Helmenstine, M., & Ph.D.. (n.d.). 10 Carbon Facts. Chemistry - Periodic Table, Chemistry Projects, and Chemistry Homework Help. Retrieved July 5, 2011, from http://chemistry.about.com/od/elementfacts/a/carbonfacts.htm

• File:Diamond-and-graphite-with-scale.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.).Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved July 6, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diamond-and-graphite-with-scale.jpg

What is Organic Chemistry anyways...

...and why is it important?

Organic Chemistry, known as ‘The Chemistry of Life’, is one of the largest fields of Chemistry that exists on Earth and is concerned with the study of the structure, properties, composition, and reactions of carbon-containing compounds. These compounds, known as organic compounds, are composed of carbon and hydrogen molecules bonded together, but can also contain elements such as Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. 

Organic compounds are very important because they form the basis of all life on Earth,  and so without them, we wouldn’t be able to live. Some popular examples of important organic compounds include proteins, which are the structural and functional basis of living things, drug molecules, which are used to treat diseases, and petroleum compounds, which serve as important energy sources. 

Questions (click 'Comments' and type your answers):

1. What are some other fields of Chemistry that also exist and how are they linked to Organic Chemistry?
2. Why is Carbon a critical element to all life (and thus why are organic compounds so important)?
3. What are some other popular examples of Organic Compounds? What are their functions? (List 3)

References:

• Morrison, R. T., & Boyd, R. N. (1992). Organic chemistry (6. ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
• Organic Chemistry. (n.d.).Penn Chemistry. Retrieved July 6, 2011, from www.chem.upenn.edu/chem/research/images/organic.jpg