G12 Matter & Materials – Organic Chemistry
• O-chem deals with organic molecules.
• Main element – carbon
• Other elements – hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl), iodine (I), bromine (Br).
Representing Organic Molecules:
Molecular formula: shows how many atoms of each type of element are in a molecule. E.g., C4H10
Structural formula: shows every bond between every atom in the molecule
Condensed structural formula: CH3CH(CH3)CH3
Functional groups:
Functional group: a specific group of atoms within a molecule that is responsible for the characteristic
chemical reactions of those molecules
• Can be a single atom or a type of bond
• The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions regardless of the size
of the molecule it is a part of
• O-chem deals with organic molecules.
• Main element – carbon
• Other elements – hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl), iodine (I), bromine (Br).
Representing Organic Molecules:
Molecular formula: shows how many atoms of each type of element are in a molecule. E.g., C4H10
Structural formula: shows every bond between every atom in the molecule
Condensed structural formula: CH3CH(CH3)CH3
Functional groups:
Functional group: a specific group of atoms within a molecule that is responsible for the characteristic
chemical reactions of those molecules
• Can be a single atom or a type of bond
• The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions regardless of the size
of the molecule it is a part of
