Intro To Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry
Jevaughn Scott
Crude oil and hydrocarbons
• Hydrocarbons are compounds that contain hydrogen and carbon atoms only.
• Crude oil
• Crude oil is a finite resource that is found in the Earth’s crust. It is the remains of
organisms that lived and died millions of years ago - mainly plankton which was buried in
mud.
• Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. The carbon atoms in these molecules are
joined together in chains and rings. In the ball and stick models below, carbon atoms are
black and hydrogen atoms are white.
Some examples of hydrocarbon molecules
Crude oil is an important source of:
• fuels such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, heavy fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gases
• feedstock for the petrochemical industry
• A feedstock is a raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. A petrochemical is a
substance made from crude oil using chemical reactions. For example, ethene is produced from crude oil.
It is used as feedstock to make poly(ethene), a polymer.
• Other useful substances made from compounds found in crude oil include:
• solvents
• lubricants
• detergents
Alkanes
The alkanes form a homologous series. Like all
homologous series, the alkanes:
• have the same general formula
• differ by CH2 in molecular formulae from neighbouring compounds
• show a gradual variation in physical properties, such as their boiling
points
• have similar chemical properties
General formula
• The general formula for the alkanes is CnH2n+2, where n is the
number of carbon atoms in the molecule.
• Example
• Decane is an alkane. Its molecules contain 10 carbon atoms. Predict
the molecular formula of decane and explain your answer.
• The formula will be C10H22. This is because n = 10. So, 2n + 2 = (2 ×

10) + 2 = 20 + 2 = 22.
Question
• Hexane is an alkane. Its molecules contain six carbon atoms. Predict
the molecular formula of hexane.
The formula will be C6H14.

Structures
Structure Explanation
• The ball and stick models on the right show that the covalent bonds
are not really at angles of 90°, as shown in the structures.
• The alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons:
• hydrocarbons, because they are compounds containing hydrogen and

carbon only
• saturated, because their carbon atoms are joined by C-C single bonds
Separating crude oil
Fractional distillation is used to separate crude oil into simpler, more
useful mixtures. This method can be used because different
hydrocarbons have different boiling points.
Fractional distillation
• During the fractional distillation of crude oil:
• heated crude oil enters a tall fractionating column, which is hot at the bottom and gets cooler towards
the top
• vapours from the oil rise through the column
• vapours condense when they become cool enough
• liquids are led out of the column at different heights
• Small hydrocarbon molecules have weak intermolecular forces, so they have low boiling points. They
do not condense, but leave the column as gases. Long hydrocarbon molecules have stronger
intermolecular forces, so they have high boiling points. They leave the column as hot liquid bitumen.
Crude oil fractions
• he different, useful mixtures are called fractions. This is because they

are only part of the original crude oil
• . One way to remember the names of the fractions is: Lazy Penguins
Keep Drinking Hot Beer.
Properties of
fractions
• Each crude oil fraction contains a mixture of hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in a fraction are
mostly hydrocarbons called alkanes. They have similar (but not identical):
• numbers of hydrogen and carbon atoms in their molecules

• boiling points
• ease of ignition
• viscosity
• For example, the gases fraction contains hydrocarbons with one to four carbon atoms. These have:
• boiling points below room temperature

• they are very flammable
• have a low viscosity
• The hydrocarbons in different fractions differ in these properties. For
example, the bitumen fraction contains hydrocarbons with more than
35 carbon atoms. These have:
• boiling points well above room temperature

• are very difficult to ignite
• have a high viscosity
• Hydrocarbon fuels can undergo complete combustion or incomplete
combustion, depending on the amount of oxygen available.
Complete combustion
• Complete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel happens when there is a
good supply of air. Carbon and hydrogen atoms in the fuel react with
oxygen in an exothermic reaction:
• carbon dioxide and water are produced

• the maximum amount of energy is given out
• In a Bunsen burner, this occurs when the air hole is fully open.
• In general:
• hydrocarbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
• Here are the equations for the complete combustion of propane, used in bottled gas:
• propane + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
• C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O

Question
• Write a balanced equation for the complete combustion of methane,
CH4, found in natural gas.
• CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

Incomplete combustion
• Incomplete combustion happens when the supply of air or oxygen is
poor. Water is still produced, but carbon monoxide and carbon are
produced. Less energy is released than during complete combustion.
• In a Bunsen burner, incomplete combustion occurs when the air hole is

closed.
Cracking and
alkenes
• Cracking is a reaction in which larger saturated hydrocarbon molecules are broken down into smaller,
more useful hydrocarbon molecules, some of which are unsaturated:
• the original starting hydrocarbons are alkanes

• the products of cracking include alkanes and alkenes, members of a different homologous series
• For example, hexane can be cracked to form butane and ethene:
• hexane → butane + ethene
• C6H14 → C4H10 + C2H4
• The starting compound will always fit the rule for an alkane, CnH2n+2. The first product will also
follow this rule. The second product will contain all the other C and H atoms. The second product is
an alkene, so it will follow the rule CnH2n.
Question
• C16H34 is an alkane which can be used as the starting chemical in
cracking. One of the products of cracking this compound is an alkane
which has 10 carbon atoms in it. Write a balanced symbol equation for
this cracking reaction.
• C16H34 → C10H22 + C6H12

Various methods can be used for cracking
• Catalytic cracking uses a temperature of approximately 550°C and a
catalyst known as a zeolite which contains aluminium oxide and
silicon oxide
• Steam cracking uses a higher temperature of over 800°C and no
catalyst
The slideshow describes the process of catalytic cracking.
Reasons for cracking
• Cracking is important for two main reasons:
• It helps to match the supply of fractions with the demand for them.
• It produces alkenes, which are useful as feedstock for the petrochemical industry.
• Supply and demand

• The supply is how much of a fraction an oil refinery produces. The demand is how much of a fraction
customers want to buy. Very often, fractional distillation of crude oil produces more of the larger
hydrocarbons than can be sold, and less of the smaller hydrocarbons than customers want.
• Smaller hydrocarbons are more useful as fuels than larger hydrocarbons. Since cracking converts larger
hydrocarbons into smaller hydrocarbons, the supply of fuels is improved. This helps to match supply
with demand.
Alkenes
• Alkanes and alkenes both form homologous series of hydrocarbons, but:
• alkanes are saturated, their carbon atoms are only joined by C-C single bonds
• alkenes are unsaturated, they contain at least one C=C double bond
• As a result, alkenes are more reactive than alkanes. Alkenes can take part in reactions that
alkanes cannot. For example, ethene molecules can react together to form poly(ethene), a
polymer.
• Alkenes will react with bromine water and turn it from orange/brown to colourless. This is
the way to test for a double C=C bond in a molecule.

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Organic Chemistry

• The formula will be C10H22. This is because n = 10. So, 2n + 2 = (2 ×

The formula will be C6H14.

• The alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons:

• hydrocarbons, because they are compounds containing hydrogen and

• he different, useful mixtures are called fractions. This is because they

• numbers of hydrogen and carbon atoms in their molecules

• boiling points below room temperature

• boiling points well above room temperature

• carbon dioxide and water are produced

• hydrocarbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water

• propane + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water

• C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O

• CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

• In a Bunsen burner, incomplete combustion occurs when the air hole is

• the original starting hydrocarbons are alkanes

• hexane → butane + ethene

• C6H14 → C4H10 + C2H4

• C16H34 → C10H22 + C6H12

• Supply and demand

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