Carbon compounds play an important role in industry and in daily life. Coal and petroleum are two major sources of carbon compounds. In this topic, the main focus is placed on the use of petroleum fractions as fuel and as a source of hydrocarbons. Students should appreciate that the use of fossil fuels has brought us benefits and convenience, such as providing us with domestic fuels and raw materials for making synthetic polymers like plastics and synthetic fibres, alongside environmental problems such as air pollution, acid rain, and the global warming. Eventually, they should realise that human activities can have a significant impact on our environment.
 

This topic also introduces some basic concepts of organic chemistry such as homologous series, functional group, general formula and structural formula. Students should be able to give systematic names of alkanes, alkenes, alkanols and alkanoic acids with carbon chains not more than eight carbon atoms. In addition, they are expected to learn the chemical reactions of alkanes and alkenes. By illustrating the formation of monosubstituted halomethane, students should realise that chemical reactions often take place in more than one step and involve reactive species like free radicals.

 

Polymers can be synthesised by reacting small organic molecules (monomer) together in a chemical reaction. This process is called polymerisation. S tudents should understand the formation of addition polymers. Also, they should realise that the uses of some common addition polymers can be related to their physical properties which are, in turn, related to their structures. The formation of condensation polymers and a more in depth treatment of the properties of polymers are included in Topic XI Chemistry of Carbon Co mpounds and Topic XIV Materials Chemistry respectively.