The vital force theory received a severe blow whenwohler prepared urea in the laboratory from inorganic compound

ammonium cyanate in the laboratory. The unique properties of carbon such astetravalency, catenation and formation of multiple bonds are responsible for it to form millions of compounds. Carbon shares four electrons with other atoms and forms four single covalent bonds and it is known as tetravalency. The property of self linkage among identical atoms to form long chain compounds is known as catenation. , n-butane is a straight chain compound, 2-methyl butane is a branched chain compound, and cyclobutane is a cyclic compound. Compounds of carbon linked by single bonds are known as saturated compounds. Examplemethane, ethane. The compounds of carbon linked by double and triple bonds are called unsaturated compounds. Example ethene and ethyne.

The compounds of carbon which contain a closed ring of carbon atoms are regarded as cyclic hydrocarbons. They are of two types.

y y

Alicyclic and Aromatic. Cyclo propane and cyclo butane are alicycliccompounds and benzene is an aromatic compound.

The carbon atom together with hetero atoms is known as functional group. When carbon compounds with same functional group are arranged in ascending order of their molecular weights, the difference between the two consecutive members of the series is CH2 and such a series is called homologous series.

Functional groups are specific atoms, ions, orgroups of atoms that have consistent properties. In organic chemistry, apart from hydrocarbons, there are other molecules where carbon forms bonds with other elements, such as halogens,oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur. rational system of naming carbon compounds was developed. It was modified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and is followed all over the world. According to the IUPAC system of nomenclature, the name of an organic compound consists of a root word, a suffixand a prefix. 1. For saturated hydrocarbons, the primary suffix ane should be added. For example, the IUPAC name of

is ethane. 2. Hydrocarbons containing double bonds are known as alkenes. For such hydrocarbons, theprimary suffix ene should be added to the root word. For example,

the IUPAC name of asEthene

is written

A secondary suffix indicates the functional grouppresent in the carbon compound. For example a molecule of ethyl alcohol contains two carbon atoms, so the root word is eth. It is saturated so the primary suffix should be ane but as there is a functional group OH in the molecule, remove the e from the name of the molecule and add the secondary suffix ol. Therefore, the IUPAC name of ethyl alcohol is ethanol. Using the same set of rules, the IUPAC name of thepropanaldehyde molecule can be written asPropanal, acetone can be written as propanone.Similarly, the IUPAC name of propionic acid can be written as propanoic acid.

3. Hydrocarbons that contain a triple bond between carbon atoms are known as alkynes and for naming such hydrocarbons the primary suffix yneshould be added. For example, the IUPAC name of

is written as propyne.

The parts of the name that precede the root word are

called prefixes. For example, in the compound,cyclobutane, cyclo is the prefix that indicates thealicyclic nature of the compounds