Alkanes and Cycloalkanes Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Alkanes and Cycloalkanes, aiding in the understanding of organic chemistry principles.

Orbital

A region of space found around the nucleus where electrons are likely to be found.

Hybridization

The concept that atomic orbitals mix to form new hybrid orbitals suitable for bonding.

Electron Shell

Layers of orbitals around an atom's nucleus, each holding a specific number of electrons.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms.

Isomerism

The phenomenon where compounds have the same molecular formula but different structural configurations.

Constitutional Isomers

Isomers that differ in the connectivity of their atoms.

Alkyl Group

A hydrocarbon substituent derived from an alkane by removing a hydrogen atom.

Valence Bond Theory

A theory that explains how atomic orbitals overlap to form covalent bonds.

sp3 Hybridization

A hybridization involving one s orbital and three p orbitals, resulting in four equivalent sp3 orbitals.

Cis-Trans Isomerism

A type of stereoisomerism where the relative orientation of functional groups differs in a molecule.

Tetrahedral Angle

The angle of approximately 109.5° between bonds in a tetrahedral molecular geometry.

Sigma Bond

A covalent bond formed by the direct overlap of atomic orbitals.

Pi Bond

A covalent bond formed by the sideways overlap of p orbitals.

Chair Conformation

A stable conformation of cyclohexane which minimizes angle and torsional strain.

Ring-Flip

The process through which chair forms of cyclohexane interconvert by rearranging axial and equatorial positions.

Bond Strength

The measure of energy required to break a bond in a molecule.

Nomenclature

The systematic naming of chemical compounds according to established rules.

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, responsible for chemical nomenclature.

Saturated Hydrocarbons

Compounds that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms.

Bond Length

The distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms.

Electronegativity

A measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons.

Stability of Conformations

Refers to the energy barriers that affect which molecular arrangements are preferred.

C-C Bond

A covalent bond between two carbon atoms.