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
Read moreelectron flow
How (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 moreWalkthrough of Acid-Base reactions (4) – pKa
So last time we went through all the different trends that affect acidity. The bottom line is that any factor which stabilizes the conjugate base
Read moreCurved Arrows (for reactions)
If you think of electrons as the currency of chemistry, reactions are transactions of electrons between atoms. Just like double entry book keeping was developed
Read moreEvaluating Resonance Forms (1) – The Rule of Least Charges
So far I’ve talked about resonance, and introduced the curved arrow formalism to show the movement of electrons. Importantly, we’ve talked about how the “true”
Read more“Compare Organic Chemistry To A Movie…”
Love this quote, from Organic Chemistry 1 as a Second Language by David R. Klein (fuller review to come) on organic chemistry and memorization. You
Read moreWhat makes a good leaving group?
A leaving group is a nucleophile acting in reverse; it accepts a lone pair as the bond between it and its neighbor (usually carbon for
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