NCERT Books for Class 10 Science Chapter 4

Topics covered in Class 10 Carbon and Its Compounds

Some of the topics covered in this section are:

• Covalent bonding in carbon compounds.  

• Versatile nature of carbon. 

• Allotropes of carbon. 

• Saturated and unsaturated carbon compounds.  

• Chains, branches and rings in carbon compounds and Isomers. 

• Functional groups. 

• Homologous series. 

• Nomenclature of carbon compounds.

Why is it so Important for Students to study Carbon and Its Compounds?

Students are advised to understand that organic chemistry is based on carbon and the bond it forms. Carbon and its compounds play a great part in our lives and surroundings. Items such as food, clothes, medicines, books, or any of our other day to day requirements have their base on this versatile element, carbon. In addition, all living structures are also carbon-based. 

Bonding in Carbon – Covalent Bond

Most of the carbon compounds are poor conductors of electricity characterised by low melting and boiling points as compared with ionic compounds. In other words, the forces of attraction between the molecules are not very strong. Being largely non-conductors of electricity, the bonding in the carbon compounds does not give rise to any ions.

We are aware that the reactivity of elements is their tendency to attain a completely filled outer shell so as to attain noble gas configuration. By either gaining or losing electrons from the outermost shell, the elements forming ionic compounds achieve this position.  In the case of carbon, it has four electrons in its outermost shell and needs to gain or lose four electrons to attain a noble gas configuration. If it were to gain or lose electrons – (i), it could gain four electrons forming C4– anion. But it would be difficult for the nucleus with six protons to hold on to ten electrons, that is, four extra electrons. (ii) It could lose four electrons forming C4+ cation. But the process of removing four electrons would require a large amount of energy, leaving behind a carbon cation with six protons in its nucleus holding on to just two electrons.

This problem is overcome by carbon by sharing its valence electrons with other atoms of carbon or with atoms of other elements. Not just carbon, but many other elements also form molecules by sharing electrons in a similar manner. The shared electrons ‘belong’ to the outermost shells of both the atoms and the process leads to both atoms attaining the noble gas configuration.

Versatile Nature of Carbon 

(i) Carbon has the unique ability to form bonds with other atoms of carbon, forming large molecules, a property known as catenation. These compounds may have long chains of carbon, branched chains of carbon or even carbon atoms arranged in rings. Besides, carbon atoms may be linked by single, double or triple bonds. 

Those Carbon compounds linked by only single bonds between the carbon atoms are called saturated compounds.  Compounds of carbon having double or triple bonds between their carbon atoms are called unsaturated compounds. No other element exhibits the property of catenation to the extent seen in carbon compounds. 

Silicon is another element that forms compounds with hydrogen with chains up to seven or eight atoms, but these compounds tend to be very reactive. On the other hand, the carbon-carbon bond is very strong and hence stable. This gives us a large number of compounds with many carbon atoms linked to each other.

(ii) Since carbon has a valence of four, it can easily bond with four other atoms of carbon or atoms of some other mono-valent element. Compounds of carbon are formed with oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, chlorine and many other elements. Such compounds have specific properties which depend on the elements other than carbon present in the molecule.

One reason for the formation of strong bonds by carbon is its small size enabling the nucleus to hold on to the shared pairs of electrons strongly. In comparison, the bonds formed by elements having bigger atoms are much weaker.

What do you Need to Know?

The two characteristic features are seen in carbon, that is, tetra-valence and catenation, contribute to the formation of a large number of compounds. Many have the same non-carbon atom or group of atoms attached to different carbon chains. 

These compounds were initially extracted from natural substances and it was considered that such carbon compounds or organic compounds could only be formed within a living system. 

That is, it was postulated that a ‘vital force’ was necessary for their synthesis. Friedrich Wöhler disproved this theory in 1828 by preparing urea from ammonium cyanate. 

Carbon compounds, except for carbides, oxides of carbon, carbonate and hydrogen carbonate salts continue to be studied under organic chemistry.

Allotropes of Carbon

Carbon is capable of forming many allotropes (structurally different forms of the same element) due to its valency. These include well-known allotropic forms of carbon like diamond and graphite. Diamond is a precious allotrope of carbon. The properties like hardness, extremely high refractive index, and high dispersion of light make the diamond useful for industrial applications and for jewelry. Diamond is the hardest known natural mineral. 

The dominant industrial use of diamond is cutting, drilling (drill bits), grinding (diamond-edged cutters), and polishing. The applications in these technologies do not require large diamonds, and most diamonds that are not of gem quality can find industrial use. 

Its extraordinary hardness makes the diamonds possible to be embedded in drill tips and saw blades, or ground into a powder for use in grinding and polishing applications. 

Specialized applications include use in laboratories as containment for high-pressure experiments (see diamond anvil), high-performance bearings, and specialized windows of technical apparatuses.

Industrial diamonds are valued mostly for their hardness and heat conductivity, regardless of the gemological characteristics of a diamond, including clarity and colour. 

How can the Students Ascertain in Detail All about Carbon and Its Compounds?

The Class 10 Chapter of Carbon and Its Compounds prepared by NCERT enables the students to better understand the subject. The Books of NCERT have all solutions to the possible questions asked in every chapter. 

The answers or solutions to the questions asked at the end of each chapter are prepared and designed by highly experienced, well-qualified professors and tutors in the respective fields.

The matter and its content prepared in the Class 10 Chemistry Chapters are straightforward and to the point. The contents prepared and designed are easy to understand and to the point. 

Appropriate diagram points to remember, step by step procedures, shortcut to numerical problems and tricks to remember the formulae and chemical reactions are prepared to grasp quickly and with ease.

The NCERT Exemplar Question format provides an overview of the main concepts of the chapter, making you well versed with important chemical equations and balancing them wherever necessary.

A table relating to Class 10 Carbon and Its Compounds

What type of Questions would be asked in the Class 10 Model Paper of Carbon and Its Compounds?

The questions framed for Class 10 Question papers can come in various types such as:

Key Takeaways of the Class 10 Carbon and Its Compounds Chapter

• All information, whether they are diagrams, symbols and equations are authentic or simple.

• The Class 10 NCERT Book on the Class 10 Carbon and Its Compounds has all answers to the questions asked at the end of each chapter. 

• There are solutions printed between the lessons for practice.

• The matter and its content prepared in the Class 10 Chemistry Chapters are straightforward and to the point. The content prepared and designed is quite easy to comprehend.

• The solutions provided at the end of the chapters can be used as a reference for competitive exams. 

• The students can refer to this as a guide for step-by-step study with neat labelled diagrams, shortcuts and tips to tackle complex or tough questions easily.

The Best Method to Learn Carbon Compounds Chapter 

It is always advisable to read with concentration as the chapter you would be studying is new. It will be a good practice to split the chapter into headings and subheadings for better understanding.

If you are nearing the exam dates with little or no time for the exams, it would be ideal if you read the whole chapter once and clear all doubts before writing down headings and subheadings. If possible, make flowcharts to learn and memorize faster. 

The key to learning this vast topic is to understand and practise rather than mugging before the test or exam. This may sound difficult at first, but the more you practise drawing structures, you become familiar with structures and formulae.

To begin with, you need to be aware of all symbols of the elements. Next, learn all functional groups and write down the names of the compounds into their structural formula. You should be able to name a compound from its given formula. 

It is important to study all the allotropes of carbon, tetravalency and catenation thereby understanding the bonding of carbon and its compounds.

Students basically feel that the chapter on Carbon and Its Compounds is the toughest chapter. Nevertheless, this is also a high scoring chapter as well. One can complete this chapter in a span of 2 days provided he/she begins from scratch.

How to Master this Class 10 NCERT Chemistry?

Chemistry may sound easy for many but the study of atomic structure, valence and formulae is a matter of concern for some.  Besides, the questions and problems listed at the end of each chapter, related as they are to the real world and everything in this universe, should be answered regularly. 

• The Class 10 NCERT Exemplar consists of model solutions to all questions in the NCERT Textbooks.  The exemplars aid the students in completing assignments and simultaneously becoming productive in the exams. 

• With detailed explanations along with step by step solutions, the exemplars are highly beneficial in understanding clearly the different concepts of Chemistry and their problems. The exemplars also aid the students to enhance their reasoning and analytical skills. 

• By registering for Chemistry tuitions on the Vedantu website, all students can clear his/her doubts scoring highly in their examinations. Chapter-wise solutions and tricks to master the subjects are also available on Vedantu. 

Tips to top the Class 10 Chemistry Exams

Studying Chemistry is considered difficult by some students can be made quite easy with a great deal of practice and effort. For instance, solving the question papers of previous years within defined time limits goes a long way in this direction. In addition, answering model question papers from time to time helps you understand the various possibilities of framing questions. 

• You will also get familiar with the type of questions and the format of the question papers asked. This also enhances your problem-solving abilities, achieving greater speed and accuracy in solving difficult questions.  This will also improve your time management skills in achieving greater competence.  

• Jotting down and remembering important formulae, definitions and equations is a matter of great importance in the study of Chemistry. It is also necessary to comprehend the derivations of important formulae and equations and practise them regularly. You may also adopt your own shortcuts and methods to master them and reproduce them wherever necessary. 

• Preparing your own notes as per the syllabus and revising them regularly is a vital step for understanding the concepts and solving accurately the problems asked. It also helps in remembering the various steps and methods involved in accurately solving the mathematical problems in Chemistry.  

• Discussions with friends and tutors, wherever possible, will also help you in clearing doubts relating to different topics.