Frost Circles
We’ve spent a lot of time in previous posts “building up” and drawing out the molecular orbitals for various species. In this post we’ll learn
Read moreThe SN1 Mechanism
The SN1 Reaction Mechanism There are two important classes of nucleophilic substitution mechanisms – the SN1 and SN2 mechanisms (See article – Two Types of
Read moreLearning New Reactions: How Do The Electrons Move?
The most important question when learning a new reaction is recognizing “What Bonds Form, What Bonds Break?” If that’s #1, then what’s the second most
Read moreHow To Prepare for Organic Chemistry Exams
A common problem students tell me is that they feel that they know the material, but when they write an exam, they don’t do well.
Read moreAlkene Addition Pattern #3: The “Concerted” Pathway
“Concerted” Mechanisms In Alkene Addition Reactions: Hydroboration, Hydrogenation, Epoxidation, Dihydroxylation, And Simmons-Smith Cyclopropanation. In contrast to alkene addition reactions in the Carbocation Pathway and the
Read more“Organic Chemistry Is Like…” – A Few Metaphors
What’s organic chemistry, and how is it different from most classes you’ll encounter? In this post I share a few useful metaphors from commenters on
Read moreThe Third Most Important Question to Ask When Learning A New Reaction
How Do The Electrons Move? “Electron Pushing” With The Three Types Of Curved Arrows When learning any new reaction, I think you always have to
Read more7 Factors that stabilize negative charge in organic chemistry
Understanding The 7 Key Factors That Stabilize Negative Charge (And Ultimately, Basicity) Like I wrote about in a previous post, it’s good – but not
Read moreThe Conjugate Acid Is A Better Leaving Group
Adding Acid Increases Leaving Group Ability Sure, it’s one thing to recognize halogens (Cl, Br, and I) as having high leaving group ability, as well
Read moreAcid Base Reactions In Organic Chemistry
An Introduction to Acid Base Reactions In Organic Chemistry Now that we’ve described how to figure out where the electrons are in a molecule, the
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