Carbon is an element that, through covalent bonds, forms organic compounds. A bond is the force that gives stability to the atoms joined together; when the bond is covalent , the atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.
Organic compounds or molecules form carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds and link together to form a three-dimensional lattice . This network can be represented through models that show the size and shape of the molecules, which depend on the angles and distances between the nuclei of the atoms that constitute them. These characteristics, along with intramolecular forces and the polarity of their bonds, determine properties of molecules such as density, solubility, and boiling point.
Frequently, the three-dimensional structure of molecules is represented by Newman projections , a way of schematizing conformations , that is, orientations or spatial positions of a molecule. Three types of lines are used in these projections:
- The continuous ones symbolize the links located in the same plane in which it is drawn.
- The dashed ones represent links that are directed towards the back of the plane in which it is drawn, away from the observer.
- The wedge -shaped lines indicate the presence of links that are directed towards the observer, which are thicker as they get closer to the observer.
Sources
Autino, JC, Romanelli, G., Ruiz, DM Introduction to Organic Chemistry . Editorial of the National University of La Plata., La Plata, 2013.
Darling, SD A guide to the use and construction of molecular models. Darling models . Stephen D. Darling, ISBN 0-9648837-0-8, 2006.
McMurry, J. Organic Chemistry . 7th edition. Cengage Learning., Mexico, 2008.
