Presentation Chemistry
Presentation Chemistry
As a
member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent
making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three
naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is
radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5,730 years. Carbon is one of the
few elements known since antiquity.
Carbon is the 15th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and the fourth
most abundant element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and
oxygen. It is present in all known life forms, and in the human body carbon is the
second most abundant element by mass (about 18.5%) after oxygen. This
abundance, together with the unique diversity of organic compounds and their
unusual polymer-forming ability at the temperatures commonly encountered on
Earth, make this element the chemical basis of all known life.
Carbon has four electrons in its outermost shell and needs to gain or lose four
electrons to attain noble gas configuration. If it were to gain or lose electrons
(i) It could gain four electrons forming C4 anion.
(ii) It could lose four electrons forming C4+ cation.
Carbon overcomes this problem by sharing its valence electrons with other
atoms of carbon or with atoms of other elements. Not just carbon, but many
other elements form molecules by sharing electrons in this manner. The shared
electrons belong to the outer shells of both the atoms and lead to both atoms
attaining the noble gas configuration.
This type of bond formed by sharing of electrons is called covalent bond.
Covalently bonded molecules are seen to have strong bonds within the
molecule, but intermolecular forces are small. This gives rise to the low melting
and boiling points of these compounds. Since the electrons are shared between
atoms and no charged particles are formed, such covalent compounds are
generally poor conductors of electricity.
Allotropes of carbon
The element carbon occurs in different forms in nature with
Versatile nature of
carbon
Tetra valency
(ii) Since carbon has a
Functional groups.
Carbon seems to be a very friendly element.
Homologous series
The presence of a functional group such as alcohol dictates
Nomenclature of carbon
compounds
Combustion.
Carbon, in all its allotropic forms, burns in oxygen to give carbon
dioxide along with the release of heat and light. Most carbon
compounds also release a large amount of heat and light on burning.
Saturated hydrocarbons will generally give a clean flame while
unsaturated carbon compounds will give a yellow flame with lots of
black smoke. However, limiting the supply of air results in incomplete
combustion of even saturated hydrocarbons, giving a sooty flame.
The gas/kerosene stove used at home has inlets for air so that a
sufficiently oxygen-rich mixture is burnt to give a clean blue flame. If
you observe the bottoms of cooking vessels getting blackened, it
means that the air holes are blocked and fuel is getting wasted.
Fuels such as coal and petroleum have some amount of nitrogen
and sulphur in them. Their combustion results in the formation of
oxides of sulphur and nitrogen which are major pollutants in the
environment.
Oxidation.
Oxidation: Carbon compounds can be easily
Addition reaction.
Unsaturated hydrocarbons add hydrogen in the
Substitution reaction.
Saturated hydrocarbons are fairly unreactive and
BY
- Anjali kumari
Class X a