Lecture Notes on Alkanes and Cycloalkanes

These flashcards cover vocabulary related to alkanes and cycloalkanes, including definitions of key terms and concepts from the lecture notes.

Bronsted-Lowry Acids and Bases

Acid-base theory that focuses on proton (H+) transfer.

pKa

A measure of acid strength; lower pKa indicates a stronger acid.

Lewis Acids and Bases

Acid-base theory where Lewis acids accept electron pairs and Lewis bases donate electron pairs.

Hydrocarbons

Organic compounds consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon.

Saturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds; alkanes.

IUPAC Naming System

Systematic method for naming organic chemical compounds.

Substituents

Atoms or groups of atoms replacing hydrogen atoms in a hydrocarbon.

Cycloalkanes

Alkanes that contain a ring structure.

Constitutional Isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formula but different connectivity of atoms.

Torsional Strain

Strain due to eclipsing interactions between atoms in a molecule.

Angle Strain

Strain experienced by a ring due to bond angles that deviate from the ideal values.

Staggered Conformation

A conformation where groups on adjacent carbons are as far apart as possible.

Axial Position

A position in cyclohexane conformation where substituents point vertically.

Equatorial Position

A position in cyclohexane conformation where substituents point outward, in the plane of the ring.

Chair Conformation

Most stable conformation of cyclohexane, with no angle or torsional strain.

Bicyclic Compound

A compound containing two fused rings.

Cis-Trans Isomerism

Stereoisomers differing in the position of substituents relative to a double bond or ring.

Heat of Combustion

The amount of energy released when a substance is burned in oxygen.