Common Mistakes with Carbonyls: Carboxylic Acids… Are Acids!
Carboxylic acids… are acids. I know that seems obvious. But it’s a near certainty that students taking Org 2 for the first time will forget
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Another Exercise In Mind Reading
Here’s another great example of how one reagent used in a certain context performs one thing, and in a different context performs a completely different
Read moreTake “Don’t Memorize!” with a grain of salt
Loyal reader Sandy writes in with a comment about memorization: I wish I had understood much earlier that there is a place for memorization in
Read moreSOCl2 and the SNi Mechanism
Some time ago I published this post on Reagent Friday discussing the mechanism of SOCl2 converting secondary alcohols to alkyl chlorides with secondary through an
Read moreDraw The Ugly Version First
When figuring out what the product of a reaction is, there are really two important steps. 1. Figuring out where the electrons go. 2. Drawing
Read moreIf you’re leaving for an O-Chem exam in 3 minutes or less, read this.
My one-sentence advice to those about to write an exam: Number your carbons. Now go write your exam. If you need reasons, here they are.
Read moreWhy organic chemistry is hard (2)
Today’s post is about how a simple reaction can lead to all kinds of complications. I’m talking about the Grignard reaction here, although the principles
Read more“Make All The Necessary Mistakes As Quickly As Possible”
The beginning of a new semester is a quiet time. Time to resolve to do things differently. Try and fix problems from last semester to
Read moreCommon Mistakes: Drawing Tetrahedral Carbons
There is a knack to drawing proper tetrahedrons. And some very common pitfalls that might not be immediately obvious. One of the challenges that has
Read moreDrawing Resonance Structures: 3 Common Mistakes To Avoid
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
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