OXIDATION OF CARBON COMPOUNDS 127 



the simpler character of the compounds and the uncertainty 

 of their constitution. We may take as an example the 

 extreme difficulty with which ammonia is oxidized com- 

 pared with the uncommonly easy oxidation of oxyammonia 

 or hydroxylamine, NH 3 O, in consequence of which the 

 latter gains its usefulness as a reducing agent. 



Carbon combined with other Elements. We have dealt 

 above with the carbon-hydrogen linkage; the linkage of 

 carbon to other elements, and the reactions possible to it, 

 must now be considered. These are most simply shown in 



a table : 



OCCl OCOH OCNH 2 CC1 COH CNH 2 

 HC1 .... + 



H 2 O + + 



H 3 N + -f- + 



HOCH, .... + + 



HCOOH . . . . + + + 



A very large number of possible reactions is indicated by 

 this table, reactions referring to the six groups mentioned 

 at the head of it. Of these six, three have Cl, OH, and 

 NH 2 , respectively, united to oxidized carbon, forming the 

 acid chlorides, acids and amides, such as acetyl chloride, 

 acetic acid, and acetamide. The three others contain the 

 same groups attached to non-oxidized carbon, forming the 

 alkyl chlorides, alcohol and amines. It is then striking 

 how the corresponding changes under the influence of HC1, 

 H 2 0, H 3 N, HOCH 3 , HCOOH, the two latter typical of the 

 alcohol and acids, occur more easily with oxidized than 

 with non-oxidized carbon, as may be seen from the majority 

 of positive signs, and especially from the great reac- 

 tivity of the acid chlorides as compared with the alkyl 

 chlorides. 



Linkage of Carbon with Carbon. That the linkage of 

 carbon to carbon also is loosened by the presence of oxygen 

 is one of the most general phenomena in organic chemistry, 

 and is especially seen in the fact that all carbon chains on 

 combustion in oxygen break up into unlinked carbon 

 dioxide. There are also in this connexion certain rules 



