The Chemistry of Carbon Compounds

  Chemistry of carbon compound: Carbon plays a very important role for all living beings. The presence of carbon in the atmosphere of the earth is 0.03% in the form of carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon in the earth's crust is merely 0.02% which is available in the form of minerals such as carbonates, coal, and petroleum. Compounds of Carbon: Almost all carbon compounds (except a few) are poor conductors of electricity. The diamond and graphite both  are formed by carbon atoms; however,  the difference lies between them in the manner in which the carbon atoms are bonded to one another. In a diamond, each atom of the carbon is bonded to four other carbon atoms and forms a rigid 3-dimensional structure.  In graphite, each atom of the carbon is bonded to three other carbon atoms in the same plane, which gives a hexagonal array. There is a difference in some physical structures of diamond and graphite. Diamond is the hardest substance known whereas graphite is a smooth...

Alkanes are the simplest and the least reactive hydrocarbon species containing only carbons and hydrogen. They are commercially very important, for being the principal constituent of gasoline and lubricating oils are extensively employed in organic chemistry. In an alkane, each carbon atom is sp3 hybridized with sigma bonds (either C-C or C-H), and each H-atom is joined to one of the carbon atoms ( in a C-H bond). The longest series of linked carbon atom in a molecule is known as its carbon skeleton/ carbon backbone. The no. of carbon atom. The no.of carbon atoms may be considered as the size of alkane.  Methane: Methane (one carbon bonded to four hydrogens) is the simplest organic molecule. Methane The bonds point to the four corners of the tetrahedron, forming a 108.70-degree bond angle. The carbon atom and the hydrogen atoms within alkanes are connected by single covalent bonds. The number of carbon atoms within an alkane is the main determiner of an alkane.  Alkanes are a ...