Organic chemistry

• Organic hydrocarbons are compounds formed from carbon and hydrogen atoms only
• Properties of hydrocarbons change as the chain length varies
• Shorter hydrocarbon chains are more volatile and flammable, while longer chains are less useful and can be split up through cracking into smaller chain-length hydrocarbons
• Cracking produces alkanes by splitting up long-chained hydrocarbons and alkenes
• During combustion of hydrocarbons in oxygen, carbon and hydrogen from the hydrocarbon are oxidized, producing carbon dioxide and water vapor
• Crude oil, a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals, is non-renewable as it is a finite resource
• Alkanes are saturated compounds with the general formula CnH₂n+2, while alkenes are unsaturated compounds with a double carbon bond
• Alkenes are more reactive than alkanes and can open their double bonds to form polymer chains through addition polymerization
• Incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons can result in the formation of carbon monoxide and carboxylic acids
• Carboxylic acids can dissolve in water, releasing H+ ions and forming weak acids
• Esters, formed from a carboxylic acid and an alcohol, have the functional group -COO- and can undergo condensation reactions to form polymers