Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry studies carbon compounds.
About this topic
Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds, excluding simple ones like carbon dioxide and carbonates. Carbon is special because it has four valence electrons, forms four strong covalent bonds, and bonds with itself to make chains, branches and rings, giving millions of compounds. Most contain hydrogen, and often oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or halogens.
Hydrocarbons contain only carbon and hydrogen and are the parent family. Compounds are grouped by functional groups, which determine their properties. Structures can be drawn as molecular formulas, full structural formulas, condensed formulas (CH3CH2OH) or skeletal diagrams where each corner is a carbon. Naming follows IUPAC rules based on the longest chain: meth-, eth-, prop-, but-, pent-, hex-, hept-, oct-, non-, dec-. Saturated compounds have only single bonds; unsaturated ones have double or triple bonds.
Examples: methane in natural gas, ethanol in drinks and fuels, glucose in food, polyethylene in bags, and DNA in cells. Fuels, medicines, plastics, dyes, foods and fabrics are all organic. Historically, Wohler's synthesis of urea in 1828 showed that organic compounds do not need a vital force from living things.
A misconception is that organic means natural or pesticide-free in the food sense; in chemistry it only means containing carbon in the structure. Many organic compounds are synthetic.
Key ideas
- Carbon forms four bonds
- Chains and rings
- Hydrocarbons contain only C and H
Quick check
Use cases: where Introduction to Organic Chemistry helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Introduction to Organic Chemistry before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Introduction to Organic Chemistry without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Introduction to Organic Chemistry changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Introduction to Organic Chemistry in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Chemistry explains medicine, food, cleaning products, fuels and building materials.
Frequently asked questions
What is Introduction to Organic Chemistry?
Organic chemistry studies carbon compounds.
What will I learn in Introduction to Organic Chemistry?
Carbon forms four bonds. Chains and rings. Hydrocarbons contain only C and H.
Is Introduction to Organic Chemistry part of Chemistry?
Yes. It is one of 150 Chemistry topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Introduction to Organic Chemistry lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Introduction to Organic Chemistry?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.