The only way of mastering any topic in Organic Chemistry is doing lots of practice problems. And I know, seeing my students, that starting to work on a practice problem may be the hardest part as you don’t know where to start. It is difficult to visualize what where the double bond would be moved if you follow the five curved arrows crammed in one step. Here is the trick:
We are always told to think before doing something. Fair enough. But let me tell you, it is also strangely enough, that in Organic Chemistry, it is often better to draw and then think about what you did (not in the lab though). It is much easier to have a structure in front of you and check for errors and improvements.
Do the first step, take the pencil and you will see that the ball gets rolling.
You have all these Organic Chemistry Practice Problems waiting to be solved!
Conformations Let’s first talk about conformations. These, also referred to as conformers or conformational isomers, are different arrangements of atoms that occur as a result of rotation about single bonds. For example, in the following molecule, we can have a … Read more
Chemical Formulas, Structures and Constitutional Isomers In the General chemistry courses, when solving different problems like the ones in stoichiometry and gas laws, we often use the following notations for representing organic molecules: CH4, C3H8, C6H6, C4H10O These are … Read more
In today’s post, we will talk about the IUPAC rules of nomenclature for naming alkanes and alkyl halides. The first thing you need to do before learning the IUPAC rules for systematic nomenclature is making sure you know the names … Read more
Lone Pairs and Resonance Stabilization Before we classify the lone pairs of electrons as localized or delocalized, let’s answer a quick question about resonance structures: Which of the following represents a correct transformation between the two resonance structures? … Read more
In the previous post, we talked about the resonance structures and the main rules applied to them. In summary, there are two must-follow rules when drawing resonance structures: 1) Do not exceed the octet on 2nd-row elements. 2) Do not break single … Read more
If a molecule has more than one Lewis structure, it can be represented by the corresponding resonance forms. They are separated by a double-headed arrow (two arrows are used for equilibrium): Remember, resonance structures have the same placement … Read more
What are Resonance Structures When switching from general to organic chemistry, showing molecules as structures rather than simple formulas becomes one of the first things and priorities you need to learn. Lewis structures are essential for this as they show … Read more
Question: Why do we use curved arrows? Answer: We use them to keep track of electrons. Curved arrows are crucial in organic chemistry, and using them correctly is essential for mastering the subject. In fact, it is like the operating system of … Read more
Organic Molecules One of the fundamental differences between Organic Chemistry and General Chemistry is the need for a much better visualisation and understanding of the molecular structures. This is because organic molecules are generally larger than inorganic ones, such as … Read more
A functional group is a specific atom or group of atoms within a molecule that largely determines its chemical reactivity, physical properties, and behavior in reactions. These groups are the key to understanding how and why organic molecules interact the … Read more
