Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An organic molecule in which an oxygen atom is bonded to two carbon atoms through two sigma bonds is known as an ether. Ether molecules occur widely in nature. Diethyl ether was once widely used as an anesthetic. An aromatic ether known as Nerolin II (2-ethoxynaphthalene) is used in perfumes to impart the scent of orange…

An oxygen atom normally forms two σ bonds with other atoms; the water molecule, H2O, is the simplest and most common example. If one hydrogen atom is removed from a water molecule, a hydroxyl functional group (―OH) is generated. When a hydroxyl group is joined to an alkane framework, an alcohol such as ethanol, is produced. When the hydroxyl group…

A distinctive set of physical and chemical properties is imparted to molecules that contain a functional group composed of three pairs of doubly bonded atoms (usually all carbon atoms) bonded together in the shape of a regular planar (flat) hexagon. The hexagonal ring is usually drawn with an alternating sequence of single and double bonds. The molecule benzene, C6H6,…

Molecules that contain a triple bond between two carbon atoms are known as alkynes. The triple bond is made up of one σ bond and two π bonds. As in alkenes, the π bonds constitute regions of increased electron density lying parallel to the carbon-carbon bond axis. Carbon-carbon triple bonds are very strong bonds, but reactions do…

Organic compounds are termed alkenes if they contain a carbon-carbon double bond. The shared electron pair of one of the bonds is a σ bond. The second pair of electrons occupies space on both sides of the σ bond; this shared pair constitutes a pi (π) bond. A π bond forms a region of increased electron density…

Alkanes are compounds that consist entirely of atoms of carbon and hydrogen (a class of substances known as hydrocarbons) joined to one another by single bonds. The shared electron pair in each of these single bonds occupies space directly between the two atoms; the bond generated by this shared pair is known as a sigma…

Chemists observed early in the study of organic compounds that certain groups of atoms and associated bonds, known as functional groups, confer specific reactivity patterns on the molecules of which they are a part. Although the properties of each of the several million organic molecules whose structure is known are unique in some way, all…

The carbon atom is unique among elements in its tendency to form extensive networks of covalent bonds not only with other elements but also with itself. Because of its position midway in the second horizontal row of the periodic table, carbon is neither an electropositive nor an electronegative element; it therefore is more likely to share…

When chemistry took on many of the characteristics of a rational science at the end of the 18th century, there was general agreement that experiment could reveal the laws that governed the chemistry of inanimate, inorganic compounds. The compounds that could be isolated from living organic entities, however, appeared to have compositions and properties entirely different from…

Organic compound, any of a large class of chemical compounds in which one or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most commonly hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. The few carbon-containing compounds not classified as organic include carbides, carbonates, and cyanides. In general, organic compounds are substances that contain carbon (C), and carbon atoms provide the key structural framework that generates the vast diversity of organic compounds.…