Download Glossary of Key Terms in Chapter Two

Denniston, 8e
Glossary of Key Terms in Chapter Ten
aliphatic hydrocarbon (10.1) any member of the alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes or the substituted alkanes,
alkenes, and alkynes.
alkane (10.2) saturated hydrocarbon; a hydrocarbon that contains only carbon and hydrogen and that is
bonded together through carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon single bonds. Alkanes have the general
molecular formula CnH2n+2.
alkyl group (10.2) a simple hydrocarbon group that results from the removal of one hydrogen from the
original hydrocarbon (e.g., methyl, -CH3; ethyl, -CH2CH3).
alkyl halide (10.5) a substituted hydrocarbon that has the general structure R-X, where R- represents any
alkyl group and X is one of the halogens (F-, Cl-, Br-, or I-.)
aromatic hydrocarbon (10.1) an organic compound that contains the benzene ring or a derivative of the
benzene ring.
axial atom (10.4) an atom that lies above or below a cycloalkane ring.
boat conformation (10.4) a conformation of the cyclohexane ring that resembles a rowboat.
chair conformation (10.4) the most energetically favorable conformation for a six-carbon cycloalkane; socalled for its resemblance to a lawn chair.
cis-trans isomers (10.3) isomers that differ from one another in the placement of groups on a double bond
or a ring.
combustion (10.5) oxidation of hydrocarbons by burning in the presence of air to produce carbon dioxide
and water.
condensed formula (10.2) a formula that shows all of the atoms in a molecule and places them in a
sequential arrangement that details which atoms are bonded to each other; the bonds themselves are
not shown.
conformations (10.4) discrete, distinct isomeric structures that may be converted one to the other by
rotation about the bonds in the molecule.
conformers (10.4) discrete, distinct isomeric structures that may be converted one to the other by rotation
about the bonds in the molecule.
constitutional isomers (10.2) two molecules having the same molecular formulas but different chemical
structures.
cycloalkane (10.3) cyclic alkanes; saturated hydrocarbons, that have the general formula CnH2n.
equatorial atom (10.4) an atom that lies in the plane of a cycloalkane ring.
functional group (10.1) an atom (or group of atoms and their bonds) that imparts specific chemical and
physical properties to a molecule.
geometric isomers (10.3) isomers that differ from one another in the placement of substituents on a double
bond or ring.
halogenation (10.5) a reaction in which one of the C-H bonds of a hydrocarbon is replaced with a C-X
bond of a halogen atom (X = Br or Cl, generally).
hydrocarbon (10.1) a compound composed solely of the elements carbon and hydrogen.
I.U.P.A.C. Nomenclature System (10.2) The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
(I.U.P.A.C.) standard, universal system for the nomenclature of organic compounds.
line formula (10.2) the simplest representation of a molecule in which it is assumed that there is a carbon
atom at any location where two or more lines intersect, there is a carbon at the end of any line, and
each carbon is bonded to the correct number of hydrogen atoms.
molecular formula (10.2) a formula that provides the atoms and number of each type of atom in a
molecule but gives no information regarding the bonding pattern involved in the molecule’s structure.
parent compound (10.2) In the I.U.P.A.C. Nomenclature System, the parent compound is the longest
chain containing the principal functional group (e.g., the hydroxyl group) in the molecule that is being
named .
primary (1º) carbon (10.2) a carbon atom that is bonded to only one other carbon atom.
quaternary (4º) carbon (10.2) a carbon atom that is bonded to four other carbon atoms.
saturated hydrocarbon (10.1) alkane; a hydrocarbon that contains only carbon and hydrogen and that is
bonded together through carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon single bonds. Alkanes have the general
molecular formula CnH2n+2.
secondary (2º) carbon (10.2) a carbon atom that is bonded to two other carbon atoms.
stereoisomers (10.3) molecules that have the same structural formulas and bonding patterns but different
arrangements of atoms in space.
structural formula (10.2) a formula that shows all of the atoms in a molecule and exhibits all bonds as
lines.
structural isomers (10.2) molecules having the same molecular formula but different chemical structures.
substituted hydrocarbon (10.1) a hydrocarbon in which one or more hydrogen atoms is replaced by
another atom or group of atoms.
substitution reaction (10.5) a reaction that results in the replacement of one group by another.
Tertiary (3º) carbon (10.2) a carbon atom that is bonded to three other carbon atoms.
unsaturated hydrocarbon (10.1) a hydrocarbon containing at least one multiple (double or triple) bond.