CHEM 120 Week 5 Lab: Organic Chemistry

CHEM 120 Week 5 Lab: Organic Chemistry

CHEM 120 Week 5 Lab: Organic Chemistry

Name

Chamberlain University

CHEM-120 Intro to General, Organic & Biological Chemistry

Prof. Name

Date

OL Lab 9: Building Models of Organic Compounds

Learning Objectives

The objectives of this lab are as follows:

  • Build virtual models to learn about the structure of organic compounds.

  • Draw extended structural formulas of organic compounds.

Organic compounds are primarily based on carbon atoms. Along with carbon, these compounds often include nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. Carbon has the ability to form a wide range of covalent compounds due to its bonding versatility. Compounds are formed when carbon shares electrons with other atoms, creating covalent bonds. Most biomolecules and drugs fall into the category of organic compounds.

In this laboratory exercise, you will create virtual models of organic compounds and draw their extended structural formulas. The online resource MolView will be used for building models. It is essential to carefully construct each compound as instructed and paste the images into this document. This hands-on activity provides valuable insights into the structural characteristics of organic compounds.

Exploration 1: Building Models of Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that consist of hydrogen and carbon. They can appear in different forms, such as linear, branched, or cyclic, and can also be classified as saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic.

Using the virtual resource, build the extended structural formulas of the following hydrocarbons and record the condensed structural formulas:

CompoundCondensed Structural Formula
PropaneCH3CH2CH3
ButaneCH3CH2CH2CH3
Isobutane(CH3)3CH
Isopentane(CH3)2CHCH2CH3
EthyleneCH2CH2
EthyneCHCH
Cyclohexene
Benzene
PropyneCH3CCH
EthaneCH3CH3

Exploration 2: Identification of Functional Groups

Part 2A: Building Functional Groups

Functional groups significantly influence the properties of hydrocarbons. Using the virtual resource, build the extended structural formulas for the following functional groups:

  • Alcohol

  • Ether

  • Ketone

  • Carboxylic Acid

  • Aldehyde

  • Ester

  • Amine

Part 2B: Identification of Functional Groups

The following table identifies functional groups and their corresponding organic molecules based on condensed structural formulas:

Condensed Structural FormulaName of Functional GroupName of Organic Molecule
CH3CH2COCH3KetoneButanone
CH3CH2CHOAldehydePropanal
CH3OHAlcoholMethanol
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2NH2AminePentylamine
CH3CH2CH2COOHCarboxylic AcidButanoic Acid

Exploration 3: Building Hydrocarbons Containing Functional Groups

Using the virtual resource, build the extended structural formulas for the following compounds:

  • Difluoromethane

  • Trichloromethane

  • Tetrachloromethane

  • Propanol

  • Ethanoic Acid

Combine propanol and ethanoic acid to synthesize propyl ethanoate, and record the extended structural formula.

Additionally, construct models for the following compounds:

  • Phenol

  • Dimethyl ether (Condensed: CH3OCH3)

  • Propanal (Condensed: CH3CH2CHO)

  • Hexanoic acid (Condensed: CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2COOH)

  • Ethylamine (Condensed: CH3CH2NH2)


Questions

1. Write the names of a biomolecule (also known as macromolecules) that contain each of the functional groups below.

  • Amine – Proteins

  • Aldehyde – Carbohydrates (glyceraldehyde)

  • Carboxylic Acid – Lipids

  • Alcohol – Carbohydrates

2. Find an example of an ester used as a fragrance or flavoring and give the name, condensed structural formula, and flavor of your chosen ester.

  • Methyl butanoate creates an apple-like fragrance and flavor.

  • Condensed Structural Formula: CH3CH2CH2COOCH3

3. For each of the following, give the functional group and application.

CompoundFunctional GroupApplication
FormaldehydeAldehydeTissue preservation
EthanolAlcoholAntiseptic and hand sanitizers
AcetoneKetoneNail polish remover (solvent)
PhenolAromatic hydrocarbonDisinfecting sprays

Reflection

This laboratory activity enhanced my ability to recognize functional groups and name organic compounds. I learned to identify functional groups in condensed formulas and to visualize their structures through extended structural models. The lab also improved my understanding of naming conventions, including prefixes and suffixes. However, the time-consuming nature of this exercise occasionally detracted from the learning process.

I also realized that compounds often have multiple accepted names, which can cause confusion. In the case of esters, I am still uncertain whether the order of the acid and alcohol matters in the condensed formula. Despite these challenges, the lab was valuable, especially in showing how these concepts can be applied in real-world contexts, such as interpreting medication labels or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Recognizing structures and functional groups quickly can be highly useful in healthcare and research careers.

References

Zumdahl, S. S., & Zumdahl, S. A. (2020). Chemistry: An Atoms First Approach (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.

McMurry, J. (2021). Organic Chemistry (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

CHEM 120 Week 5 Lab: Organic Chemistry

Solomons, T. W. G., Fryhle, C. B., & Snyder, S. A. (2020). Organic Chemistry (12th ed.). Wiley.