Organic 1 – the basics
What to expect from Organic 1
Click here for a glossary of terms used in Organic Chemistry
Having taken two semesters of General Chemistry you should have a firm grasp of the organization of the Periodic Table and how the trends found within help us to understand how and why atoms bond with each other. Organic Chemistry begins with a review of concepts such as electronegativity, hybridization, shape, and valence so students need to be happy with these ideas from the beginning. Much of this is discussed on the Preparation page.
Organic 1 then progresses with a more in-depth look and Acid-Base chemistry and how chemical concepts may be applied to predict products and the position of an equilibrium in a reaction. This serves as an introduction to reactivity and mechanism. The rest of Organic 1 is spent building towards Chemical Synthesis by studying ideas such as conformation and stereochemistry, which leads to in-depth study of the reactivity of alcohols, alkyl halides, alkynes and alkanes.
Below is a rough guide to the major ideas to be discussed and conquered in Organic Chemistry 1. The first tab in each block features a YouTube summary of the topic; the second tab contains a short quiz on the material discussed.
Shape and Structure
The models below represent examples of the three main geometries encountered in Organic Chemistry, namely tetrahedral (in methane, ethane, and propane), trigonal planar (in ethylene), and linear (in acetylene).
Methane (sp3 C, tetrahedral)
Ethane (sp3 C, tetrahedral)
Propane (sp3 C, tetrahedral)
Ethylene (sp2 C, trigonal planar)
Acetylene (sp C, linear)
Functional Groups
Examples of alkyl halide functional groups are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
1-Chorobutane (1o alkyl halide)
2-Fluorohexane (2o alkyl halide)
Iodocyclopentane (2o alkyl halide)
1-Bromo-1-methylcyclohexane (3o halide)
Examples of the alkene functional group are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
trans-2-Butene (disubstituted)
Cyclohexene (disubstituted)
1,2-Dimethylcyclopentene (disubstituted)
2,3-Dimethylacrylonitrile (trisubstituted)
Examples of the alkyne functional group are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
1-Hexyne (terminal)
2-Pentyne (internal)
Cyclononyne (internal)
Di-t-butylacetylene (internal)
Examples of the alcohol functional group are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
Cyclopentanol (secondary)
1-Octanol (primary)
Glycerol (primary & secondary)
Isopropanol (secondary)
Examples of the ether functional group are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
Diethyl ether (acyclic)
Tetrahydrofuran (cyclic)
Furan (acyclic)
Methylphenyl ether (acyclic)
Examples of the thiol functional group are collected below as moveable models; green atoms = F or Cl, red = O, blue = N, orange = Br, purple = I, yellow = S.
Butanethiol
Thiophenol
beta-Mercaptoethanol
Glutathione(H)
Dipropylsulfide
Tetrahydrothiophene
Thiopyran
Thietane
Benzene
Naphthalene
Aspirin
Phenylalanine
Acetaldehyde
Butyraldehyde
Benzaldehyde
(E)-Cinnamaldehyde
Acetone
Benzophenone
Cyclohexanone
Camphor
Acetic acid
Benzoic acid
Phthalic acid
Alanine
Propionyl chloride
Benzoyl chloride
Adipoyl chloride
Acetyl fluoride
Acetic anhydride
Benzoic anhydride
Maleic anhydride
Phthalic anhydride
Ethyl acetate
Methyl benzoate
Butyl propanoate
Glycerol decanoate
Acetamide
Caprolactam
N,N-Dimethylformamide
Penicillin G
Methylamine (primary)
Triethylamine (tertiary)
Cadaverine (primary)
Piperidine (secondary)
Resonance Structures
Allyl carbocation
Acids and Bases
Alkane Nomenclature
Conformational Analysis
An overview of Acyclic Conformation is linked here; Cyclohexane Conformation here.