The Most Important Question To Ask When Learning a New Reaction
About a month or so ago I had a big revelation as an instructor. Something that I’d been taking for granted, that was right under
Read moreA Primer On Organic Reactions
The 4 Major Classes of Reactions in Org 1
At least 80% of the reactions you will learn in Org 1 fall into one of these 4 categories. The sooner you can get into the habit of recognizing bond formation and breakage the better off you will be.
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 (and why) electrons flow
So what is the key “driving force” involved in chemistry? A chemist would say that “opposite charges attract, like charges repel.” But how can we
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 last time, it’s good – but not enough –
Read more7 Factors That Stabilize Positive Charge in Organic Chemistry
Stabilization Of Positive Charge In Organic Chemistry: 7 Key Factors Just to clarify: make sure you’re familiar with how formal charge can lie before you
Read moreCommon Mistakes: Formal Charges Can Mislead
Sometimes The “Formal Charge” Does Not Accurately Represent The Electron Density Around An Atom! Formal charges have their plusses and minuses. Har har. In many
Read moreNucleophiles and Electrophiles
Nucleophiles and Electrophiles, Nucleophilicity and Electrophilicity All through the series on understanding where electrons are, and how they flow, we’ve been talking about how the
Read moreCurved Arrows (for reactions)
Curved Arrows: The Accounting System For Electron Movement If you think of electrons as the currency of chemistry, reactions are transactions of electrons between atoms.
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