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I’m always open to further revisions, so if there’s a functional group that’s missing that you think should be included, let me know in the comments below.Įnjoy Compound Interest’s posts? Consider supporting Compound Interest on Patreon! Organic molecules are featured in many of the site’s graphics – see if you can spot any of these functional groups in previous posters! At a simple level, molecules with a certain functional group can be predicted to react in similar ways with other substances. If you haven’t, it’s a useful tool to decode the different parts that make up molecules in organic chemistry.Īll carbon-based (organic) molecules contain functional groups – some more than one of them – and they’re what gives molecules their particular reactivity. The purpose of this chart will be clear if you’ve got a background in chemistry. Actually, a functional group is an atom or a group of atoms with characteristic chemical and physical properties. They determine a molecule’s geometry, physical properties, and reactivity. In particular, sulfur-containing functional groups are much better represented, and a few additional nitrogen-containing groups have crept in. Table of Contents Functional groups in organic chemistry Functional groups in organic chemistry Functional groups are structural features distinguish one organic molecule from another. While this chart still doesn’t claim to be exhaustive, it contains almost double the number of functional groups as the original chart (40 vs. This week, I finally got around to doing that! of C’s attached to the other end of the functional group (including the carbonyl carbon)- name using the prefixes (second part of name)-from carboxylic acid.Since I published my original functional groups chart back in 2014, I’ve had a fair few requests to expand it to include more functional groups. Use your problem solving skills and the answers in the table above to fill in the blank boxes.
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Give fruit their pleasant ‘fruity’ smell, they have lower boiling points than alcohols and carboxylic acids of a similar size.ġ.Locate the functional group and the carbonyl carbon.Ģ.Look at the C’s attached to the oxygen in the functional group- name using the prefixes (first part of name)- from alcoholģ.Look at the total no.
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