Upon Completion of this topic, the learners will be able to:

• discuss the general characteristics of organic compounds,
• demonstrate practical knowledge about methods for separation and purification of methods of organic compounds,
• identify the various functional groups in organic compounds,

Do you recall what you have learnt about the branches of chemistry in grade 10? Can you name these branches? What is organic chemistry?

The term organic compound was first used to describe compounds of carbon derived from plants and animals. This is due to the fact that the sources of organic compounds were plants and animals. However, at the beginning of the 19th century (in 1828) a German scientist, FreidrichWohler, synthesized the first man-made organic compound, urea. After the synthesis of urea by Wohler many carbon compounds were made artificially in chemical laboratories.

At present the term organic compound is used to describe compounds of carbon derived from living organisms as well as those made artificially in laboratories.

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds with the exception of oxides of carbon, carbonates and hydrogen carbonates, carbides of metals, cyanides, etc.

Organic compounds have the following general characteristics. Organic compounds:

• are volatile (evaporate easily) and combustible (burst into flame in presence of oxygen and heat). They have low melting point and boiling points.
• are non-polar compounds and insoluble in polar solvents like water, but soluble in non-polar solvents like benzene, ether, etc.
• of the same class have similar chemical properties.
• exhibit isomerism. Most organic compounds have more than one structural formula.
• contain only few other elements besides carbon such as hydrogen, oxygen and sometimes nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and halogens.