Organic Chemistry: How to Build People

As you begin your study of organic chemistry, you might feel overwhelmed by the number of compounds, names, reactions, and mechanisms that confront you. The goal of this course is to organize the material and to show that most of organic chemistry consists of a few basic principles and many extensions and applications of these principles. In Section 1: Structure and BondingWe will review concepts from general chemistry that are essential for success in organic chemistry, such as the electronic structure of the atom, Lewis structures and the octet rule, types of bonding, electronegativity, and formal charges.

Predict patterns of covalent and ionic bonding involving C, H, O, N, and the halogens. Identify resonance-stabilized structures and compare the relative importance of their resonance forms. Draw and interpret the types of structural formulas commonly used in organic chemistry, including condensed structural formulas and line-angle formulas.

Predict the hybridization and geometry of organic molecules based on their bonding. Identify isomers and explain the differences between them. In section 2: Acids and Bases and Functional GroupsWe will identify the molecular features that cause compounds to be polar and to engage in hydrogen bonding.

Predict general trends in physical properties such as boiling points and solubilities. Identify acids, bases, electrophiles, and nucleophiles. Compare their strengths and predict their reactions based on structure and bonding, as well as Ka and pKa values.