Organic Chemistry I For Dummies, 2nd Edition

The easy way to take the confusion out of organic chemistry

Organic chemistry has a long-standing reputation as a difficult course. Organic Chemistry I For Dummies takes a simple approach to the topic, allowing you to grasp concepts at your own pace.

This fun, easy-to-understand guide explains the basic principles of organic chemistry in simple terms, providing insight into the language of organic chemists, the major classes of compounds, and top trouble spots. You’ll also get the nuts and bolts of tackling organic chemistry problems, from knowing where to start to spotting sneaky tricks that professors like to incorporate.

• Refreshed example equations
• New explanations and practical examples that reflect today’s teaching methods
• Fully worked-out organic chemistry problems

Baffled by benzines? Confused by carboxylic acids? Here’s the help you need—in plain English!

Table of Contents

Part I: Getting Started with Organic Chemistry
Chapter 1: The Wonderful World of Organic Chemistry
Chapter 2: Dissecting Atoms: Atomic Structure and Bonding
Chapter 3: Speaking with Pictures: Drawing Structures
Chapter 4: Covering the Bases (And the Acids)
Chapter 5: Reactivity Centers: Functional Groups
Chapter 6: Seeing in 3-D: Stereochemistry

Part II: Hydrocarbons
Chapter 7: What’s in a Name? Alkane Nomenclature
Chapter 8: Drawing Alkanes
Chapter 9: Seeing Double: The Alkenes
Chapter 10: Reactions of Alkenes
Chapter 11: It Takes Alkynes: The Carbon-Carbon Triple Bond

Part III: Functional Groups
Chapter 12: Replacing and Removing: Substitution and Elimination Reactions
Chapter 13: Getting Drunk on Organic Molecules: The Alcohols
Chapter 14: Side-by-Side: Conjugated Alkenes and the Diels–Alder Reaction
Chapter 15: Lord of the Rings: Aromatic Compounds
Chapter 16: Bringing Out the Howitzers: Reactions of Aromatic Compounds

Part IV: Spectroscopy and Structure Determination
Chapter 17: A Smashing Time: Mass Spectrometry
Chapter 18: Seeing Good Vibrations: IR Spectroscopy
Chapter 19: NMR Spectroscopy: Hold onto Your Hats, You’re Going Nuclear!
Chapter 20: Following the Clues: Solving Problems in NMR

Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 21: Ten (Or So) Great Organic Chemists
Chapter 22: Ten Cool Organic Discoveries
Chapter 23: Ten Cool Organic Molecules

Part VI: Appendixes
Appendix A: Working Multistep Synthesis Problems
Appendix B: Working Reaction Mechanisms
Appendix C: Glossary