- You recall from General Chemistry the meaning of the terms chemical thermodynamics (energy changes as a result of reaction), chemical kinetics (reaction rates), equilibrium, and activation energy.
- You know the meaning of equations for Gibbs' free energy:
ΔG° = ΔH° - TΔS°
ΔG° = -RTlnKeq
Visualization: Potential Energy Diagrams
- You understand the distinctions among reaction rate, rate law and rate constant.
- You understand the concept of the activation barrier for a reaction, and the inverse relationship between reaction rate constant and activation barrier.
- You can look at a reaction rate law and understand how changes in condition (concentration, temperature) will change the reaction rate.
- You understand the two major acid/base definitions: Brønsted acids are proton donors, while Lewis acids are electron pair acceptors.
- You understand the mathematical definition of pKa for a Bronsted acid and how the sign and magnitude affect acid strength. You also understand how the pKa of a conjugate acid can be used to discuss Bronsted base strength.
Discussion: Brønsted Acids and Proton Transfer
- You understand the definition of a Lewis acid (electron-pair acceptor) and of a Lewis base (electron-pair donor).
Visualization: Lewis acids and bases: electron and charge distribution
- You understand the role of electronegativity and polarizability in determining Bronsted acid strength.
- You understand that a reaction mechanism is the specific set of bond-breaking and bond-forming steps that result in a chemical transformation.
Visualization: Electron pushing
- You understand that Lewis acids are electrophiles, and Lewis bases are nucleophiles. An overwhelming portion of organic chemistry will be bond formation between electrophiles and nucleophiles.
- For any depiction of an organic compound, you can recognize the presence of any of the functional groups listed in Table 2-3.
-
You know
how alkanes are named: the
systematic root name, locating the longest carbon chain, and naming
alkyl group substituents.
Visualization: Table of
Alkanes
- You can
identify the correct numbering
scheme for a multiply-substuitued alkane.
- You know
the importance of alkanes (and
other hydrocarbons) in petroleum and can write a balanced equation
for combustion of a hydrocarbon.
- You can
identify rotational isomers of
an alkane (using Newman projections) and rank them by relative energy.
Visualization: Rotations
in Butane
- You
understand the distinction between
conformers of an alkane and geometric isomers.
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