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History
The foundation of organic chemistry was laid without the aid of high-magnification microscopes. In fact, the structure of organic molecules developed without microscopes was not significantly different from the structure of properly measured molecules. Smelling, tasting or observing viscosity were three basic methods used to identify compounds. More advanced methods included testing a compound's density, refractive index and melting or boiling point. Chemists discovered the way compounds operate by observing millions upon millions of these compounds interacted with other compounds.
Carbon
Carbon is a unique element. Its bonds are so strong, atoms of carbon can form long chains. The strength of the chains is evident in materials such as diamonds and graphite. Diamonds have a lattice structural pattern while the pattern of graphite is honeycomb. Most importantly, the bonds carbon creates are carbon-carbon and remain strong when interacting with other elements. This allows carbon to create many different types of stable compounds such as hydrocarbons.
Landmark Discoveries
Several discoveries marked the growth of the organic chemistry field. In 1874, J. H. Hoff suggested carbon compounds form a tetrahedral pattern. Previously, chemists could not agree on the structure of the atoms. Hoff also suggested the idea of free rotation in the formation of isomers. A rotational isomer is formed when the halves of an isomer are freely rotated on the carbon-carbon bond. Aromatic compounds confounded chemists because their behavior was abnormal. In 1825, Michael Faraday proposed that such compounds are formed by a hexagonal ring. The ring itself was composed of alternating carbon-to-carbon bonds.
Applications
Organic chemistry, being the study of what comprises living organisms, has many applications. Alcohol is oxygen and hydrogen bonded with alkane, a hydrocarbon. Propanol one and two, ethanol and methanol are the four most common types of alcohols. Propanol is used in rubbing alcohol. Ethanol is fermented with sugar for alcoholic beverages. Organic chemistry is also applied to pharmaceuticals and organic fertilizers. Unlike inorganic fertilizers, organic fertilizers do not cause an immediate change in the pH of the soil. They also provide a large amount of essential nitrogen, which is released into the soil more slowly than inorganic fertilizer.