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Chapter 22: Problem 1

Why can carbon form so many different compounds?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Carbon can form a vast number of different compounds due to its unique atomic structure with four valence electrons, allowing it to form four covalent bonds (tetravalence). Additionally, carbon's ability to undergo hybridization creates different geometries, enabling it to form various types of compounds, such as linear chains, branched chains, and rings. These properties lead to the extraordinary diversity of carbon-based molecules, including hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, and many others.

Step by step solution

01

Atomic Structure of Carbon

The atomic number of carbon is 6, which means it has 6 protons and 6 electrons. In the ground state, a carbon atom has the electron configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p². This configuration shows that carbon has four electrons in its outer (valence) shell, with two in the 2s orbital and two in the 2p orbital.
02

Valence Electrons and Bonding

Carbon's four valence electrons play a critical role in its ability to form a wide variety of compounds because these electrons are available for bonding with other atoms. To achieve a stable and complete outer shell, carbon can either lose, gain, or share these electrons. By sharing its valence electrons with other atoms, carbon forms covalent bonds.
03

Tetravalence

Carbon's ability to form four covalent bonds with other atoms (tetravalence) is essential for creating various compounds. With these four bonds, carbon can form long chains, branched structures, and different functional groups, thus generating a vast number of possible carbon-based molecules.
04

Hybridization

Hybridization is the process by which atomic orbitals combine to form new hybrid orbitals. In the case of carbon, its 2s and 2p orbitals can hybridize to create sp, sp², or sp³ hybrid orbitals. These hybrid orbitals have different shapes, which enable carbon to form various compounds with different geometries.
05

Types of Carbon Compounds

Due to its tetravalence, hybridization, and ability to form covalent bonds, carbon can create various types of compounds, such as linear chains, branched chains, rings, and other complex structures. This versatility is one of the main reasons why carbon can form an extraordinary number of compounds, including hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, and many more. In summary, carbon's ability to form so many different compounds is due to its unique atomic structure, tetravalence, capacity to form covalent bonds, hybridization, and the various geometries and structures it can adopt when forming compounds with other atoms.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Helicenes are extended fused polyaromatic hydrocarbons that have a helical or screw-shaped structure. a. A \(0.1450-\) g sample of solid helicene is combusted in air to give 0.5063 \(\mathrm{g} \mathrm{CO}_{2}\) . What is the empirical formula of this helicene? b. If a 0.0938 -g sample of this helicene is dissolved in 12.5 g of solvent to give a 0.0175 M solution, what is the molecular formula of this helicene? c. What is the balanced reaction for the combustion of this helicene?

Give an example reaction that would yield the following products. Name the organic reactant and product in each reaction. a. alkane b. monohalogenated alkane c. dihalogenated alkane d. tetrahalogenated alkane e. monohalogenated benzene f. alkene

Give two examples of saturated hydrocarbons. How many other atoms are bonded to each carbon in a saturated hydrocarbon?

Draw the isomer(s) specified. There may be more than one possible isomer for each part. a. a cyclic compound that is an isomer of trans-2-butene b. an ester that is an isomer of propanoic acid c. a ketone that is an isomer of butanal d. a secondary amine that is an isomer of butylamine e. a tertiary amine that is an isomer of butylamine f. an ether that is an isomer of 2-methyl-2-propanol g. a secondary alcohol that is an isomer of 2-methyl-2-propanol

For each of the following, fill in the blank with the correct response. All of these fill-in-the-blank problems pertain to material covered in the sections on alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons, and hydrocarbon derivatives. a. The first “organic” compound to be synthesized in the laboratory, rather than being isolated from nature, was , which was prepared from . b. An organic compound whose carbon–carbon bonds are all single bonds is said to be . c. The general orientation of the four pairs of electrons around the carbon atoms in alkanes is . d. Alkanes in which the carbon atoms form a single unbranched chain are said to be alkanes. e. Structural isomerism occurs when two molecules have the same number of each type of atom but exhibit different arrangements of the between those atoms. f. The systematic names of all saturated hydrocarbons have the ending added to a root name that indicates the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. g. For a branched hydrocarbon, the root name for the hydrocarbon comes from the number of carbon atoms in the continuous chain in the molecule. h. The positions of substituents along the hydrocarbon framework of a molecule are indicated by the of the carbon atom to which the substituents are attached. i. The major use of alkanes has been in reactions, as a source of heat and light. j. With very reactive agents, such as the halogen elements, alkanes undergo reactions, whereby a new atom replaces one or more hydrogen atoms of the alkane. k. Alkenes and alkynes are characterized by their ability to undergo rapid, complete reactions, by which other atoms attach themselves to the carbon atoms of the double or triple bond. l. Unsaturated fats may be converted to saturated fats by the process of . m. Benzene is the parent member of the group of hydrocarbons called hydrocarbons. n. An atom or group of atoms that imparts new and characteristic properties to an organic molecule is called a group. o. A alcohol is one in which there is only one hydrocarbon group attached to the carbon atom holding the hydroxyl group. p. The simplest alcohol, methanol, is prepared industrially by the hydrogenation of . q. Ethanol is commonly prepared by the of certain sugars by yeast. r. Both aldehydes and ketones contain the group, but they differ in where this group occurs along the hydrocarbon chain. s. Aldehydes and ketones can be prepared by of the corresponding alcohol. t. Organic acids, which contain the group, are typically weak acids. u. The typically sweet-smelling compounds called result from the condensation reaction of an organic acid with an .
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