Organic chemistry

Introductory to organic chemistry:

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon and hydrogen containing compounds excluding the very simple compounds like Carbon dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Carbonates etc. The main source of organic compounds are living things : Human, Plants and animals. The study includes preparations, properties and uses of organic chemicals.

Organic Compound:                    

The hydrocarbons and their derivatives are organic compounds. They have molecules containing C-C or C-H,  C-Y  (where Y is the functional group)  bonds.

There are vast numbers of Organic compounds around us . To make things easier, chemists arranged them into different families of chemicals called Homologous series.

Homologous series:

It is the series of organic compounds which have :

1)      Same functional group

2)      Same general formula

3)      Similar chemical properties

4)      Differing physical properties

5)      General Trend in chemical and physical properties

6)      Each successive member of the groups differs by CH₂ OR  M_r by 14.

For example: Alkanes, Alkenes, Alcohol etc. 

Three different homologous series are shown above.