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4: Chemical Bonds and Organic Molecules

  • Page ID
    74096
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    • 4.1: The Periodic Table
      The chemical elements are arranged in a chart called the periodic table. Some characteristics of the elements are related to their position on the periodic table.
    • 4.2: Covalent Bonds
      You have already seen examples of substances that contain covalent bonds. One substance mentioned previously was water (H₂O). You can tell from its formula that it is not an ionic compound; it is not composed of a metal and a nonmetal. Consequently, its properties are different from those of ionic compounds. A covalent bond is formed between two atoms by sharing electrons.
    • 4.3: Polarity and Intermolecular Forces
      In an ionic bond, one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another. In a covalent bond, one or more pairs of electrons are shared between atoms. However, bonding between atoms of different elements is rarely purely ionic or purely covalent.
    • 4.4: Carbon
      Cells are made of many complex molecules called macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), carbohydrates, and lipids. The macromolecules are a subset of organic molecules (any carbon-containing liquid, solid, or gas) that are especially important for life. The fundamental component for all of these macromolecules is carbon.
    • 4.5: Functional Groups
      With over twenty million known organic compounds in existence, it would be very challenging to memorize chemical reactions for each one. Fortunately, molecules with similar functional groups tend to undergo similar reactions. A functional group is defined as an atom or group of atoms within a molecule that has similar chemical properties whenever it appears in various compounds. Even if other parts of the molecule are quite different, certain functional groups tend to react in certain ways.
    • 4.E: Covalent Bonding and Simple Molecular Compounds (Exercises)
      These are homework exercises to accompany Chapter 4 of the Ball et al. "The Basics of GOB Chemistry" Textmap.


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