No discussion of resonance structures would be complete without mention of how to royally screw them up. This isn't something to feel bad about, by the way: there isn't a chemist alive who hasn't made one of these mistakes at some point. Think of it as a rite of passage. The trick is to make the … [Read more...]
How To Use Curved Arrows To Interchange Resonance Forms
Last time in this series on resonance, we saw that resonance forms represent two (or more) different ways to draw the same molecule, which differ only in their distribution of electrons. What's different in the molecules below? Specifically, what bonds formed and broke? Where did the electrons … [Read more...]
Learning 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 important question to ask yourself? I think it is: "how do the electrons move?" [I have a friendly disagreement with a lot of instructors … [Read more...]
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 my nose. I was spending so much time focusing on the why and how of chemical reactions, that I had neglected to make sure that students understood the what - in … [Read more...]