Don’t Let This Happen On Your Next Organic Chemistry Exam…
We all have been there. We get our organic chemistry exam, we look at the first page and…
Nothing! We blank out!
This can definitely ruin your day…as well as your grade. Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen.
So – here are a few simple tips to start every organic chemistry question…even if you have no idea what to do.
Notice the pattern in every organic chemistry reaction scheme
Every organic chemistry textbook has the very same set up for the reaction scheme.
Functional group…then an arrow with reagents above and below.
Look familiar to some of you? Well, that is because I have talked about this before. You can find out about this pattern and more in Organic Chemistry Simplified Part 5.
Focus on your functional group
This will be easy to spot since we now know the pattern. It will be the first thing we see…on the left of the reaction arrow.
Now, check to see if it is a nucleophile or an electrophile. Not sure how to tell? Well…I have a post for that!
Move to your reaction arrow
Once you know how your functional group will behave (nucleophile or electrophile), then the reagent will be the other one.
Simply, right?
Here are a few posts to help you see all this in action!
Organic Chemistry Simplified – Part 3