Examine the versatility of carbon through the compounds it forms with hydrogen. Examine also how the structure and types of bond found in these compounds give rise to their properties
2007-07-17 16:39:49 · 3 answers · asked by Leo 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Yeah look up hydrocarbons. But focus on this:
Methane, CH4, has a high proportion of hydrogen to carbon and is relatively unreactive.
Ethylene, C2H4, has less hydrogen, and it's a relatively stable gas that can be polymerized to form plastics.
Acetylene, C2H2, has even less hydrogen, and it's a fairly unstable molecule and reactive toward all kinds of stuff.
2007-07-17 16:47:34 · answer #1 · answered by Fly On The Wall 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Carbon is nice because it has 4 valence electrons so it can covalently bond to 4 other atoms. when hydrogen is in the mix, it can form long chains of carbon atoms surrounded by hydrogens and this is a great way to store energy. ethanol is an example of this.
2007-07-17 16:50:31 · answer #2 · answered by E$ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you want to start out by looking up "hydrocarbons". There are many many different types of substance formed from just carbon and hydrogen.
2007-07-17 16:43:15 · answer #3 · answered by Lady Geologist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋