Organic Chemistry
Applied Chemistry
Milbank High School
Organic Chemistry
• Chemistry of compounds that contain carbon– Combine mainly with hydrogen, oxygen, and
nitrogen– Over 10 million compounds made with these 4
elements
• 95% of compounds contain carbon
Properties
• Very Flammable!– Combustion reactions
• Don’t react with other compounds much
Types
• Hydrocarbons
• Alcohols, phenols, ethers
• Carboxylic acids, amines, ketones
Hydrocarbons
• Methane, ethane, propane
• Ethylene
• Acetylene
Alcohols
• Methanol
• Ethanol
• Isopropyl alcohol
Ethanol
– Wines• 12% ethanol
– Champagnes• 14-20% ethanol
– Beers• 4% ethanol
– Whiskey• 50% ethanol
Proof spirit: alcoholic content of a beverage, twice that of the alcohol content by volume (whiskey: 100 proof)
Ethanol Con’t
• Toxic to humans
• Acute poisoning kills several hundred a year (drinking contests)
• Long term poisoning– Most serious drug problem in US– 40 times more addicts than heroin
More alcohols
• Nitroglycerin
• Ethylene glycol
• Identification of alcohols:– Contain an OH group
Alcohol in the Blood
• Ethanol is a depressant, not a stimulant– Diminished judgment and less control of actions
• Does NOT keep you warm in cold weather– Causes blood vessels to dilate– Accelerates the loss of heat loss– ½ of all frostbite victims are legally drunk– Shortens life span by contributing to diseases of the
liver, cardiovascular system, and almost every other organ in the body
Octane Rating
• Amount of octane (isooctane) present in gasoline
• Remainder is heptane
• Catalytic reforming– Change low octane fuels into high octane
fuels
• Additives– Ethers, alcohols
Distillation
• Method of separating chemicals based upon their boiling point
• Crude oil
• Water from salt water etc
• Alcohol
Titration
• Used to determine the concentration of a known reactant
• Indicator– Shows when the solutions are at equilibrium
• Utilizes precise measurements and requires accurate lab skills