What is meant by catenation? Why are organic compounds more in number than inorganic compounds?
What is meant by catenation? Why are organic compounds more in number than inorganic compounds?
Catenation is the unique property of an atoms of an element to link with one another for forming polymers (long chain) of identical atom.
Organic compounds is the compound of hydrogen and compound and their derivatives having covalent bonding .Organic compounds are more in number than inorganic compounds due to the unique common constituent carbon and its unique property. They are:
1. Tetravalency of Carbon: Carbon avails four valence electron during hybridization(1s2, 2s1, 2px1, 2py1, 2pz1). These four valence electron of carbon atoms prefer to share with four elements of other element. So carbon is a tetravalent compound and exhibits covalency
2. Catenation property: Carbon shows catenation property due to which it can form carbon chain of different types like long straight, branched and closed chain to link with each other .
3. Stability and the capacity to form multiple bond: Carbon has stable covalent bond and small sized carbon atom which is capable of forming multiple bond. It can form multiple bond with carbon itself and other elements like oxygen, nitrogen etc.
