2.

1 Carbon Compounds

1. Carbon compounds are compounds with contain the element carbon.

2. These compounds contain carbon and hydrogen in combination with a few other
elements such as oxygen, sulphur,nitrogen,halogens and phosphorus.

Organic Compounds

1. Carbon compounds can be classified into two groups :

(a) Organic compounds

(b) Inorganic compounds

2. Chemists define organic compounds as carbon-containing compounds. However,

some exceptions to this definition are

(a) Oxides of carbon such as carbon monoxides, CO and carbon dioxide, CO2

(b) carbonates such as calcium carbonate, CaCO3

(c) hydrogen carbonates such as sodium hydrogen carbonates, NaHCO3

(d) cyanides such as potassium cyanide,KCN

(e) metallic carbides such as aluminium carbide, Al4O3

3. Inorganic compounds include all carbon-containing compounds and the few carbon-
containing compounds just mentioned.
4. Table 2.1 shows examples of organic and inorganic compounds found in nature.

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 5. Most organic compounds contain the elements carbon and hydrogen. Hence, complete
combustion of organic compounds produces carbon dioxide and water.
6. The following equation shows the complete combustion of glucose, C6H12O6.

ACTIVITY 2.1

AIM: To Investigate the complete combustion of organic compounds.

Materials: Ice,Ethanol,Palm Oil, Lime water, Water.

Apparatus: Beaker, Boiling tubes,Rubber stoppers with two holes, delivery tubes, rubber
tubing, filter funnel, filter pump, spirit lamp, Bunsen burner, thermomatar, test
tube holder, retort stand and clamps, wooden blocks.

Procedure:

1. A spirit lamp is filled with some etahol and the apparatus is set up as shown below.

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 2. The spirit lamp is lit to let the etahol burn. At the same time, the filter pump is turned
on.
3. Changes takig place in boiling tubes A and B are noted.
4. After about 15 minutes, the filter pump is turned off and boiling tube A is removed.
5. The liquid inside boiling tube A is heated until starts to boil. The boiling point of the
liquid is recorded.
6. Steps 1 to 5 are repeated using palm oil to replace etahol.

Observations:

o
1. The colourless liquid in boiling tube A boils at 100 C.

2. The lime water turns milky.

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Discussion:

1. When organic compound is burnt in excess oxygen,

(a) the carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide.

(b) the hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water.

2. Carbon dioxide is detected through its ability to form a white precipitate with lime
water.
3. Whwn liquid boils at 100oC and 1 atmospheric pressure, it is pure water.

Conclusion:

Complete combustion of an organic compound produce carbon dioxide and water.

HYDROCARBONS

1. Hydrocarbons are the simplest of all organic compounds, containing only carbon and
hydrogen.
2. Hydrocarbons are classified into two groups:
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 (a) Saturated Hydrocarbon

(b) Unsaturated hydrocarbon

3. Saturated hydrocarbon molecules are made entirely of carbon-carbon single bonds.

Saturated hydrocarbons contain only single covalent bonds.

4. Unsaturated hydrocarbon molecules contain at least one carbon-carbon double or

triple bond. Unsaturated hydrocarbons contain multiple bonds.

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5. The most common natural sources of hydrocarbons are petroleum, coal, natural gas
and certain trees such as the rubber tree.
6. Non-hydrocarbons are organic compounds in wich some or all of the hydrogen atoms
have been replaced by another atoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus or
halogens. For examples,

(a) sugar is a compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

(b) protein contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

(c) tetrachloromethane contains carbon and chlorine.

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