Chapter 1 - Structure & Bonding

organic chemistry

the study of the compounds of carbon

chemical reaction

a process in which substances transform into different substances through bond breaking and forming

what we need to know to predict if/when a reaction will occur

location of electrons and their energy levels, density, where they want to move to

structure of an atom

positively charged nucleus, orbiting electrons in defined energy levels

Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle

you cannot know the exact position and momentum (energy, speed) of a particle at the same time

Schrodinger’s Wave Equation

a mathematical model that describes the wave properties of electrons and predicts the probability of finding them in specific locations around the nucleus

quantum mechanics

describes electron energies and locations by a wave equation

organic chemists use

solutions to the wave equation (orbitals) to describe where electrons in an atom or compound are

Aufbau (“Build Up”) Principle

orbitals fill in order of increasing energy from lowest energy to highest energy

Pauli Exclusion Principle

no more than two electrons may be present in an orbital; if two electrons are present, their spins must be paired (Q# ½ , - ½ )

Hund’s Rule

when orbitals of equal energy are available one electrons is added to each orbital before a second electron is added to any one of them; the spins of the electrons in degenerate orbitals should be aligned