You have already learned that carbon likes to have four bonds as it fulfils the octet without the “need for thinking” about lone pairs or formal charges. So, that is the very beginning of bonding patterns in organic chemistry – … Read more
You have mastered the concept of resonance structures, can draw valid resonance transformations, and now all you hear is “that is a significant resonance structure” or “that is not a significant resonance structure.”So, what are significant and non-significant resonance structures? … Read more
Resonance structures are different Lewis structures of the same molecule, which means they represent the same molecule/ion with different electron distributions. To keep all the atoms in place but move electrons around, the molecule must have a pi (π) bond. … Read more
We have learned that resonance structures are different Lewis structures of the same molecule. In other words, they are different ways of drawing the same species. So, what does “different” refer to if they represent the same species? The term … Read more
We learn in General Chemistry that the octet rule states that atoms tend to form bonds in such a way that they are surrounded by eight electrons in their outer (valence) shell. It is a great rule, of course, but … Read more
At the beginning of your organic chemistry journey, you’re told a golden rule: carbon likes to have four bonds. This is true almost all the time. Why almost? Because you should never draw a carbon with more than four bonds. … Read more
You are in the very beginning of your organic chemistry class, and your professor has told you that carbon has / likes / prefers four bonds. This, of course, is true – the golden number of carbon is 4.You were … Read more
Functional groups are what set apart the chemical properties of organic compounds. For example, if we draw pentane and heptane, or pentanol and heptanol next to each other, they will look quite similar because the length of the carbon chain … Read more
In the previous post, we talked about the intermolecular interactions and their correlation with the physical properties of compounds. The principles of intermolecular interactions are important in estimating the solubility of a given compound. Let’s first define what we understand … Read more
In the previous post, we talked about the standard valences and formal charges in organic chemistry. Today, we will focus on the number of lone pairs of electrons. While determining this is extensively covered in the Lewis structures and VSEPR … Read more
