1958
175 Pages
ISBN: 0020913508
DJVU
Introducing Carbon — and the fundamentals of organic chemistry

Chemists divide all substances into two classes. In one class are such things as olive oil, sugar, starch, glue, gelatin, silk, rubber, paper, and penicillin. These are examples of organic substances. In the other class are such things as air, water, sand, clay, salt, gold, silver, iron, brass, glass, and concrete. These are examples of inorganic substances. The distinction between the two emerged when it became evident that organic substances are made up of molecules that almost always contained at least one carbon atom; it then became convenient to call any substance with carbon atoms in its molecule organic and any substance without carbon atoms inorganic. In this way the world of organic chemistry came to be identified with the world of carbon.

In The World of Carbon, Isaac Asimov, introducing the study of organic chemistry, offers a clear, vivid, and comprehensible analysis of many of the most common organic compounds in our world. And he demonstrates how increased knowledge of the structure of these carbon compounds—from anaesthetics and antifreeze to paint and perfume—has led to a better life for all of us.

Those common organic compounds not discussed in this volume are covered by Dr. Asimov in a companion volume that concentrates on carbon compounds containing at least one atom of nitrogen.

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