Chapter 8: Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques (CBSE Class 11)

  • Organic Chemistry deals with the study of hydrocarbons (compounds of carbon and hydrogen elements) and other compounds regarded as derivatives of hydrocarbons. Some organic compounds may also contain nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, phosphorus, halogens, etc.
  • Berzelius, a Swedish chemist, proposed that a ‘vital force’ was responsible for the formation of organic compounds.
  • F. Wholer synthesised the first organic compound, urea from an inorganic compound, ammonium cyanate.
                       NH4(OCN) → NH3 + HOCN ⇌ (NH2)2CO
  • Organic compounds like acetic acid synthesized by Kolbe and methane by Berthelot showed conclusively that organic compounds could be synthesised from inorganic sources in the laboratory.

The Shape of Carbon Compounds

Some Characteristic Features of pi-Bonds

Complete, Condensed and Bond-line structural Formulas

Three-Dimensional Representation of Organic Molecules

Types of Isomerism

Fission of a Covalent Bond

Reaction Intermediates

Attacking Reagents

Electron Displacement Effects in Covalent Bonds