Carbon and its compounds

• Ionic compounds have high melting and boiling point and conduct electricity in solution or in the molten state
• Carbon compounds are poor conductors of electricity
• Elements are noble gas configuration by either losing or gaining electrons from the outermost shell of another element
• Chlorine forms a diatomic molecule Cl2
• Methane is wildly used as a fuel and is a major compound of biogas and compressed natural gas
• Methane is one of the most simple compound made by carbon
• The chemical formula of methane is CH4
• Bonds which are formed by the sharing of an electron between two atoms are known as covalent bonds
• In covalent bonds there are strong bonds within the molecule but molecular forces are weak and thus give rise to a low melting and boiling points of compounds
• In diamond each carbon atom is bonded to 4 other carbon atoms forming a rigid three dimension structure
• In graphite which carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms in the same plane giving a hexagonal array
• Diamond is the hardest substance while graphite is smooth and slippery
• Graphite is a very good conductor of electricity
• Diamonds can be synthesized by subjected pure carbon to very high pressure and temperature . these diamonds are small but are otherwise in distinguishable from natural diamond
• Fullerenes form another class of carbon allotropes
• The first fullerene to be identified was C - 60 which has carbon atoms that are arranged in shape of a football
• Carbon is said to be tetravalent because it has valency of 4
• Compounds of carbon which are linked by only single bonds between carbon atoms are called saturated compounds
• Compounds of carbon having double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms are called unsaturated compounds
• Silicon forms compounds with hydrogen which have chained up to 7 or 8 atoms but these compounds are very reactive
• The carbon carbon bond is very strong and hence stable
• Compounds of carbon are formed with oxygen, hydrogen ,nitrogen ,sulphur, chlorine and other elements giving rise to compounds with specific properties which depend on the element other than carbon present in the molecule
• One reason for the formation of strong bonds by carbon is its small size. This enable the nucleus to hold on to the share pairs of electrons strongly
• The bonds formed by elements having bigger atoms are much weaker
• Number of carbon atoms = 1

  Formula = CH4

  Name = Methane
• Number of carbon atoms = 2

  Formula = C2H6

  Name = Ethane
• Number of carbon atoms = 3

  Formula = C3H8

  Name = Propane
• Number of carbon atoms = 4

  Formula = C4H10

  Name = Butane
• Number of carbon atoms = 5

  Formula = C5H12

  Name = Pentane
• Number of carbon atoms = 6

  Formula = C6H14

  Name = Hexane
• Compounds with identical molecular formula but different structures are called structural isomers
• When the compounds that have carbon atoms are arranged in the form of a ring it is said to be a cyclo carbon chain
• All carbon compounds which contain only carbon and hydrogen are called hydrocarbons
• The saturated hydrocarbons are called alkanes (single bond)
• The unsaturated hydrocarbons are alkenes( double bond ) and alkynes ( triple bond )
• In a hydrocarbon chain one or more hydrogen can be replaced by different elements such that the valency of carbon remains satisfied
• The element replacing hydrogen is referred to heteroatom
• Heteroatoms are the group containing these confer specific properties to the compound regardless of the length and nature of the carbon chain and hence are called functional groups
• Heteroatom = Cl/Br

  Class of compund = Halo -(Chloro / Bromo ) Alkane

  Formula of functional group = -Cl , -Br
• Heteroatom = Oxygen

  Class of compounds = Alcohol

  Formula of functional group= - OH