Question

Explain the significance of functional groups in organic

compounds, in terms of classifying and naming the compounds and in
terms of the physical and chemical properties of the compounds.
Provide examples to support your answer.

Answer 1

Functional groups determine the chemical reactivity of an organic molecule. They are structural units that determine the chemical reactivity of a molecule under given conditions and are used to classify and name organic compounds. Examples of functional groups include hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

A functional group is an atom or a group of atoms that imparts a characteristic set of physical and chemical properties to the compound. Functional groups determine the chemical reactivity of an organic molecule. They are structural units that determine the chemical reactivity of a molecule under a given set of conditions. Organic compounds are classified into several major categories based on the functional groups they contain.

In the systematic names of organic compounds, numbers indicate the positions of functional groups in the basic hydrocarbon framework. Many organic compounds also have common names, which use the prefix form for a compound that contains no carbons other than those in the functional group and acet- for those that have one additional carbon atom.