Representing Organic Compounds - 6.2a

Fuels, Hydrocarbons and Organic Reactions - OCR GCSE (J248)

In this course, Dr Noha Ziedan (University of Chester) covers various topics in organic chemistry for OCR GCSE (9-1) in Chemistry A (J248) for Higher/Foundation Tier. It begins with: (i) an introduction to organic compounds, particularly hydrocarbons, explaining their applications and categorisation into aliphatic and aromatic classes (Topic 6.2a); then (ii) then delving into specific topics, including alkanes and their naming, drawing (Topic 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c); and (iii) their properties and uses (Topics 6.2i-6.2q); before (iv) looking at alkenes and their structures, naming (Topic 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c); (v) alcohols and their naming, drawing (Topic 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c); (vi) stereoisomerism; (vii) the properties and uses of alcohols (Topic 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c); and finally (viii) carboxylic acids, focusing on their functional group, naming, and structural formulas (Topic 6.2a, 6.2b, 6.2c).

Representing Organic Compounds - 6.2a

In the first mini-lecture, we introduce the basics of organic chemistry, specifically focusing on hydrocarbons, alcohols, and carboxylic acids (Topic 6.2a). Organic compounds, which contain carbon and are found in living organisms, have diverse applications including as fuels and plastics. Hydrocarbons, the main topic of discussion, can be categorised into aliphatic and aromatic classes. Aliphatic hydrocarbons consist of saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) with single bonds and unsaturated hydrocarbons (alkenes and alkynes) with double or triple bonds. Naming these compounds involves using prefixes and suffixes. The lecture also covers various representations of organic compounds, such as empirical, molecular, general, structural, and displayed formulas. These concepts provide a foundational understanding of organic chemistry.