Basic Concepts and Formulae
Ever wondered why petrol burns differently than cooking oil? It's all about hydrocarbons - compounds made only of carbon and hydrogen atoms. These molecules form the backbone of organic chemistry and everything from fuels to plastics.
Saturated hydrocarbons contain only single bonds between carbons, making them quite stable. Unsaturated hydrocarbons have double bonds , which makes them more reactive and useful for making other chemicals.
You'll encounter several types of formulae in your exams. The molecular formula shows exactly how many of each atom you have (like C₄H₁₀), whilst the empirical formula gives the simplest ratio. Structural formulae show how atoms connect, and displayed formulae reveal every single bond - essential for understanding reactions.
Top Tip: When drawing organic molecules, remember each carbon must have exactly 4 bonds. If you can't see 4 bonds to other atoms, the missing ones are to hydrogen atoms!
