Question

Name the main factors which are responsible for the existence of a large number of organic compounds.

Answer 1

Carbon ($\mathrm{C}$) has a strong tendency to form bonds with other atoms. So, carbon can form more than 10 million organic compounds.

The main reasons for Carbon from a large number of compounds are:

• Tetravalency of carbon
• Catenation by carbon
• Formation of multiple bonds
• Isomerism

Tetravalency of carbon: Carbon has four valence electrons in the outermost shell, and it takes 4 electrons to complete an octet of Carbon. Therefore, Carbon can form four single bonds with other atoms.

Catenation of Carbon: Carbon can share its valence electron to form a covalent bond with another Carbon atom in a long-chain fashion.

Formation of multiple bonds: The two Carbon atoms can share two, four, and six valence electrons to form single ($\mathrm{C}-\mathrm{C}$), double ($\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{C}$), and triple ($\mathrm{C}\equiv \mathrm{C}$) bonds respectively.

Isomerism: Organic compounds have the ability that different compounds have the same molecular formula but different in structure and different in physical-chemical properties.