Hydrocarbon - are organic compunds that contain Hydrogen and Carbon only.

Saturated Hydrocarbon - a hydrocarbon with single bonds only

Unsaturated Hydrocarbon - a hydrocarbon containing carbon-to-carbon multiple bon
ds.
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon - hydrocarbons with carbon atoms joined together in straig
ht or branched chains.
Alicyclic Hydrocarbon - hydrocarbons with carbons joined together in a ring stru
cture.
Functional Group - part of the organic molecule responsible for its chemical rea
ction.
Homologous Series - is a series of organic compounds with the same functional gr
oup but with each successive member differing by CH2.
Alkyl Group - is an alkane with a hydrogen atom removed, e.g. CH3, C2H5, any Alk
yl group is often shown as R.

General Formula - The simplest algebraic formula of a member of a homologous ser

ies, e.g. for alkanes --> Cn H2n+2
Displayed Formula - shows the relative positioning of all the atoms in a molecul
e and the bonds between them.
Structural Formula - Shows the minimum detail for the arrangement of atoms in a
molecule.
Skeletal Formula - a simplified organic formula, with hydrogen atoms removed fro
m the alkyl chains, leaving just a carbon skeleton and associate functional grou
ps.

Structural Isomers - are molecules with the same molecular formula but with diff
erent structural arrangements of atoms.
Sterioisomers - are compounds with the same strucutal formula, but with a differ
ent arrangement of atoms in space.
E/Z isomerism - is a type of sterioisomerism in which different groups attatched
to each carbon of a C=C double bond may be arranged differently in space becaus
e of the restricted rotation of the C=C double bond.
cis-trans isomerism - a special type of E/Z isomerism in which there is a non-hy
drogen group and hydrogen group on each C or a C=C double bond; the CIS isomer (
Z isomer) has the H atoms on each carbon atom on the same side; the TRANS isomer
(E isomer) has the H atoms on each carbon on different sides.

Homolytic Fission - the breaking of a covalent bond, with one of the bonded elec
trons going to each atom, forming two Radicals.
Heterolyric Fission - the breaking of a covalent bond with both of the bonded el
ectrons going to one of the atoms, forming a cation (+ ion) and an anion (- ion)
.
Radical - a species with an unpaired electron.
Nucleophile - is an atom (or group of atoms) that is attracted to an electron-de
ficient centre or atom, where it donates a pair of electrons to form a new coval
ent bond.
Electrophile - is an atom (or group of atoms) that is attracted to an electron-r
ich centre or atom, where it accepts a pair of electrons to form a new covalent
bond.

Cracking - refers to the breaking down of long-chained saturated hydrocarbons to

form a mixture of shorter-chained alkanes ad alkenes.
Catalyst - a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without be
ing used up in the process.

Radical Substitution - a type of substitution reaction in which a radical replac

es a different atom or group of atoms.