A Manual of the Chemistry of the Carbon Compounds

THE CARBON COMPOUNDS.
CONSTITUTION OF THE CABBON COMPOUNDS.
Carbon is a tetrad element: its most simple compound is marsh gas,
or methane, Cffj. Of the four hydrogen atoms of this compound, one
after the other can be replaced by other elements. For instance, if they
are substituted by chlorine, the following bodies are formed:—
Methane.
Methyl
Chloride.
OH8C1
Hetheue mi .
Chloride.
u " 01„»_,
Carbon
CHJJCIJ CE[Clg
CCL
By replacing the hydrogen by dyad or triad elements, we obtain
compounds such as—
Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Disulphide. Hydrocyanic Acid.
COa CSS CNH
When two atoms of carbon unite with each other, we have as the
most simple case two of the eight units of combining capacity saturating
each other, six being, left free, and thus a hexad group is formed,
from which the hydrocarbon C2He is derived; by linking in the same
manner another atom of carbon to the hexad group, we obtain an octad
group, &c. The constitution of such groups is illustrated by the following
formula of the corresponding hydrocarbons:—
f*%in /~\ TT /I TT rt TT
VUJ ^2 0 ^3 "ft 4 XO
H H H H
H-C-H H-C-H H-C-H H-C-H
H H-C-H H-C-H H-C-H
H-C-H H-C-H
H H-C-H
We are acquainted with a very large number of hydrocarbons constituted
in this manner, forming a series in which each higher
member contains one atom of carbon and two atoms of hydrogen
more than the preceding one, and having the general formulae CnHa+a«
CH. . . . . Methana C4Hl0 . . Butane. !
GjH6 . . . Ethane. C6HW . . Pentane.
CjH8 . . . Propane. C«HU . . Hexane.
Parallel with this series there ran other series containing less
hydrogen.