Category: Ch 4 – Carbon and Its Compounds

Hard water contains salts of calcium and magnesium, principally as bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulphates. When soap is added to hard water, calcium and magnesium ions of hard water react with soap forming insoluble curdy white precipitates of calcium and magnesium salts of fatty acids. 2C17H35COONa+MgCl2 → (C17H35COO)2Mg+2NaCl2C17H35COONa+CaCl2 → (C17H35COO)2Ca+2NaCl These precipitates stick to the fabric being washed… Continue reading Hard Water

Cleansing Action of Soap When soap is added to water, the soap molecules uniquely orient themselves to form spherical shape micelles. The non-polar hydrophobic part or tail of the soap molecules attracts the dirt or oil part of the fabric, while the polar hydrophilic part or head,(−COO−Na+, remains attracted to water molecules. The agitation or scrubbing… Continue reading Soaps and Detergents

Ethanol (i) Ethanol, C2H5OH is a colourless liquid having a pleasant smell.(ii)   It boils at 351 K.(iii)  It is miscible with water in all proportions.(iv)  It is a nonconductor of electricity (it does not contain ions)(v)   It is neutral to litmus. Uses: 1. As an antifreeze in radiators of vehicles in cold countries.2. As a solvent… Continue reading Ethanol and Ethanoic Acid

The members of any particular family have almost identical chemical properties due to the same functional group. Their physical properties such as melting point, boiling point, density, etc., show a regular gradation with the increase in the molecular mass. Chemical Properties A chemical property is a property that describes a substance’s ability to undergo a specific… Continue reading Phy. ,Chemical Properties and Others

Functional Groups An atom or a group of atoms which when present in a compound gives specific physical and chemical properties to it regardless of the length and nature of the carbon chain is called a functional group. Classification of Functional Groups Main Functional Groups: (i) Hydroxyl group (-OH): All organic compounds containing -OH group… Continue reading Functional Groups and Classification

Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons Saturated hydrocarbons: These hydrocarbons have all carbon-carbon single bonds. These are known as alkanes. General formula = CnH2n+2 where n = 1, 2, 3, 4.…..Unsaturated hydrocarbons: These hydrocarbons have at least one carbon-carbon double or triple bond.Hydrocarbons with at least one carbon-carbon double bond are called alkenes. General formula = CnH2n where… Continue reading Chains, Branches and Rings

Diamond has a regular tetrahedral geometry. This is because each carbon is connected to four neighbouring carbon atoms via single covalent bonds, resulting in a single unit of a crystal. These crystal units lie in different planes and are connected to each other,  resulting in a rigid three-dimensional cubic pattern of the diamond. Diamond: Has a high density… Continue reading Diamond and Others

– The phenomenon of the existence of the same element in different physical forms with similar chemical properties is known as allotropy.– Some elements like carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, etc., exhibit this phenomenon.– Crystalline allotropes of carbon include diamond, graphite and, fullerene.– Amorphous allotropes of carbon include coal, coke, charcoal, lamp black and gas carbon.

A methane molecule (CH4) is formed when four electrons of carbon are shared with four hydrogen atoms as shown below. Versatile Nature of Carbon Tetravalency, and Catenation The fact that carbon can form single, double, and triple bonds demonstrates its versatility. It can also form chains, branching chains, and rings when joined to other carbon… Continue reading Covalent Bonding in Carbon

A covalent bond is formed when pairs of electrons are shared between two atoms. It is primarily formed between two same nonmetallic atoms or between nonmetallic atoms with similar electronegativity. Lewis Dot Structure Lewis structures are also known as Lewis dot structures or electron dot structures.These are basically diagrams with the element’s symbol in the centre.… Continue reading Covalent Bond