Organic Chemistry Basics

Hydrocarbons are the simplest organic compounds - they contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms. Think of them as the building blocks for more complex molecules you'll encounter later.

The key difference between saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons is all about bonds. Saturated compounds like methane have only single bonds between carbon atoms, whilst unsaturated ones like but-2-ene contain double or triple bonds that make them more reactive.

Homologous series are families of compounds that follow the same pattern - each member differs from the next by just a CH₂ group. This means they have similar chemical properties, making them predictable to work with. The functional group is the part of any organic molecule that determines most of its chemical behaviour.

Hydrocarbons fall into three main categories: aliphatic (straight or branched chains), alicyclic (ring structures), and aromatic (special ring systems like benzene with delocalised electrons).

Quick Tip: Learning the general formulae for each homologous series will save you loads of time in exams - they're like shortcuts for working out molecular compositions!

General formulae are your best friends for identifying compound types quickly. Alkanes follow CₙH₂ₙ₊₂, alkenes are CₙH₂ₙ, and alcohols are CₙH₂ₙ₊₁OH. Master these patterns and you'll breeze through identification questions.