FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in SCIENCE 112: Organic Chemistry Module No. 1

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 1

INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

MODULE OVERVIEW

In the previous semester, you have studied the general principles of chemistry in Science 111:
Inorganic Chemistry. You now have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to understand more
specialized areas of chemistry and, hopefully, have a much greater appreciation of the expanse of the reach
of this area of science.

For this course, you will be embarking on a new but familiar area of chemistry: Organic Chemistry.
This module is designed for you to have an introduction to this rich area of chemistry and to have an
appreciation to this very important branch of chemistry.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the scope and importance of organic chemistry
2. Differentiate organic and inorganic compounds

OVERVIEW OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that is concerned with compounds containing carbon.
All organic compounds contain the element carbon. However, not all compounds which contain carbon are
considered to be organic compounds. Compounds such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2),
carbonates like sodium carbonate (Na 2CO3) and carbonic acid (H2CO3), and cyanides such as potassium
cyanide (KCN) are actually classified as inorganic compounds. It is therefore much more accurate to
characterize organic chemistry as the study of carbon-containing compounds that usually contain hydrogen
(H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), or halogens (F, Cl, Br, I).

Though it concerns only compounds containing carbon, the scope of this branch of chemistry is
extremely large, with more than 20 million organic compounds known today, and this number continuous to
grow. These compounds can be found in nature and can be isolated by chemists from plants and animals.
Many of these compounds are used for our survival, with applications in the food, energy, and clothing
industries, among others. Other organic compounds s are synthesized in the laboratory, including plastics,
fibers, and drugs. They are usually synthesized to add to the growing number of materials that we need that
we cannot find in nature or fill in the shortages in materials that we have.

With that being said, organic chemistry is an extremely important science. Without this branch of
chemistry, majority of materials that we have today might not have materialized.

The Importance of Organic Chemistry

Carbon is not the most abundant element found in the universe, or in our planet. However, the vast
majority of compounds known to man today contains this element. Thus, an understanding of the basic
principles and concepts of organic chemistry may lead to a vital grasp to the properties of the majority of
materials that we have.

The applications of organic chemistry cannot be understated. In the chemical industry, it is used to
synthesize compounds that are present in nature, allowing massive production of certain natural products. It
can also be used to synthesize materials that are not found in nature. It encompasses pharmaceutical
industries, consumer products, petroleum, and many more.

More importantly, all known living things contain carbon and are beneficial in the study of organic
chemistry. Biomolecules such as our DNA and the different enzymes that catalyzes reactions in our bodies
are understood better because of organic chemistry.

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Study Guide in SCIENCE 112: Organic Chemistry Module No. 1

It is also important to learn organic chemistry to better take care of our environment. Studying the
processes involved in the production of materials and the effects of these in the environment will guide us in
making the right decisions on how to prevent further destruction of our environment.

Brief History of Organic Chemistry

The products and processes of organic chemistry has been present in ancient times, when ancient
civilizations developed medicines, cosmetics, dyes, and other useful materials. Though not labeled as
organic chemistry, these products and processes are still present and used today, though the synthesis and
production have been modernized.

At around 1700s, the term organic chemistry has been used for the study of compounds found in
living organisms such as plants and animals (hence the term “organic”, as opposed to “inorganic” which refers
to compounds that come from non-living things such as minerals). It was observed by chemists such as
Torbern Bergman that “organic” compounds behave differently from “inorganic” compounds: compounds from
living things generally have lower melting points, difficult to purify, and decomposes easily. This led to the
belief on vitalism, a belief that compounds from living things have a special “vital force” that compounds
coming from non-living things do not have. Because of this, it was believed that “organic” compounds cannot
be produced from non-living sources, unless this “vital force” is introduced.

However, in 1828, Friedrich Wöhler was able to demonstrate that urea, found in urine, can be
converted from ammonium cyanate, an inorganic compound. This discovery has two major importance: it led
to the eventual disproving of vitalism and it catalyzed the investigation of isomerism; that is, the study of the
possibility that another compound can be formed by the rearrangement of atoms while conserving the
chemical formula.

Because of this theories on the structure of organic compounds emerged. In the 1860s, chemists like
Friedrich August Kekulé proposed theories on atom distribution and the chemical formula of compounds. In
the 1900s, chemical bonding theories were proposed. All of these developments led to the expansion of the
scope of organic chemistry which encompasses pharmacology, polymer chemistry, materials science, and
many more.

COMPARISON OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

In the previous section you have learned the main difference between an organic compound and an
inorganic compound: the presence of carbon. The mere presence of this element has many effects on a
compound, which can be summarized in the following table:

Comparison between Organic and Inorganic Compounds

Organic Compounds Inorganic Compounds

Elements present Generally contains carbon, Generally does not contain
hydrogen, and oxygen. carbon
Type of chemical bond present Covalent Covalent or ionic
Melting and boiling point Generally low Generally high
Solubility to water Mostly insoluble Mostly soluble
Solubility to organic solvents Soluble Insoluble
Conductivity Generally poor Generally good
Combustibility Mostly combustible Mostly non-combustible
Volatility Mostly volatile Mostly non-volatile
Catenation Exhibited Usually not exhibited
Isomerism Exhibited Usually not exhibited
Reaction Rate Usually slow Usually fast

It is imperative to remember that there are always exceptions to the comparison above. The reasons
for the differences between organic and inorganic compounds will be explained in the following modules.

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Study Guide in SCIENCE 112: Organic Chemistry Module No. 1

To have a better understanding of the overview of organic chemistry, you are encouraged to watch
“What Is Organic Chemistry?: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #1” using the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmvLB5dIEp8&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtONguuhLdVmq0HTKS0jksS4&index=2.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

1. Classify each compound as organic or inorganic.

a. acetic acid
b. acetylene
c. ammonia
d. butane
e. calcium chloride
f. ethyl alcohol
g. glucose
h. muriatic acid
i. table salt
j. table sugar

2. Which compound is likely organic and which is likely inorganic?

a. a compound that easily catches fire, boils at 105°C and has negligible solubility in water
b. a solid compound that melts at 700°C, and dissociate in water as ions

SUMMARY

The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this section:

 Organic chemistry is the study of compounds which contain carbon. However, not all carbon-
containing compounds are organic compounds.
 Organic chemistry has vast applications in almost any industry, which highlights the importance of its
study.
 Organic compounds and inorganic compounds differ in several aspects. Organic compounds
generally contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, are covalently-bonded, have generally low boiling
and melting points, low solubility in water but high solubility in organic solvents, generally poor
conductors of heat and electricity, are usually flammable, are mostly volatile, exhibits catenation,
exhibits isomerism, and have slow reaction rates.

REFERENCES

1. Speight, James G. (2017). Environmental Organic Chemistry for Engineers || Properties of

Organic Compounds. , (), 203–261. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804492-6.00005-8
2. McMurry, J. (2011) Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry. CA: Cengage.
3. Klein, D. (2017). Organic Chemistry. John, Wiley and Sons.
4. Carey, F. and Guliano, R. (2017). Organic Chemistry. NY: McGraw-Hill.
5. What Is Organic Chemistry?: Crash Course Organic Chemistry #1. (2020, April 30). [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmvLB5dIEp8

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