CHAPTER 2 ALKANES ow that weve reviewed the various bonding models, we are ready to examine organic compounds in respect to their structure, reactions, properties, and appli cations. Were we to list the physical and chemical properties of each of the more than 8 million organic compounds separately, it would tax the capacity of even a pow erful computer. Yet someone who is trained in organic chemistry can simply look at the structure of a substance and make reasonably confident predictions about its propertie including how it will behave in a chemical reaction Organic chemists associate particular structural units, called functional groups with characteristic patterns of reactivity; they look at large molecules as collections of functional groups attached to nonreactive frameworks. Not only does this"functional group approach"have predictive power, but time and experience have shown that it orga nizes the material in a way that makes learning organic chemistry easier for most student We'll begin the chapter with a brief survey of various kinds of hydrocarbons- compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen--introduce some functional groups then return to hydrocarbons to discuss alkanes in some detail. The names of alkanes may seem strange at first, but they form the foundation for the most widely accepted system of organic nomenclature. The fundamentals of this nomenclature system, the IUPAC rules, constitute one of the main topics of this chapter. 2.1 CLASSES OF HYDROCARBONS Hydrocarbons are compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen and are divided into two main classes: aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons. This classification dates from the nineteenth century, when organic chemistry was almost exclusively devoted 3 Back Forward Main MenuToc Study Guide ToC Student o MHHE Website53 CHAPTER 2 ALKANES Now that we’ve reviewed the various bonding models, we are ready to examine organic compounds in respect to their structure, reactions, properties, and appli￾cations. Were we to list the physical and chemical properties of each of the more than 8 million organic compounds separately, it would tax the capacity of even a pow￾erful computer. Yet someone who is trained in organic chemistry can simply look at the structure of a substance and make reasonably confident predictions about its properties, including how it will behave in a chemical reaction. Organic chemists associate particular structural units, called functional groups, with characteristic patterns of reactivity; they look at large molecules as collections of functional groups attached to nonreactive frameworks. Not only does this “functional group approach” have predictive power, but time and experience have shown that it orga￾nizes the material in a way that makes learning organic chemistry easier for most students. We’ll begin the chapter with a brief survey of various kinds of hydrocarbons— compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen—introduce some functional groups, then return to hydrocarbons to discuss alkanes in some detail. The names of alkanes may seem strange at first, but they form the foundation for the most widely accepted system of organic nomenclature. The fundamentals of this nomenclature system, the IUPAC rules, constitute one of the main topics of this chapter. 2.1 CLASSES OF HYDROCARBONS Hydrocarbons are compounds that contain only carbon and hydrogen and are divided into two main classes: aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons. This classification dates from the nineteenth century, when organic chemistry was almost exclusively devoted Back Forward Main Menu TOC Study Guide TOC Student OLC MHHE Website