Topic 4: General - Bronsted-Lowry Acids and Bases

4.1What is the definition of a Bronsted-Lowry base? A Bronsted-Lowry acid?
 
4.2How can a compound be both a Bronsted-Lowry acid and a Bronsted-Lowry base? Example?
 
4.3What is the traditionally defined difference between a strong acid and a weak acid?
 
4.4What are the names and formulas of the six strong inorganic acids?
 
4.5On a horizontal line with -10 on the left and 50 on the right, place each of the structures of the following compounds or ions (collectively referred to as “species” in organic chemistry) at its proper location based on its pKa value:
a.acetic acid, water, ethanol
b.water, ammonia, methane
c. ethyne (acetylene), ethene (ethylene), methane
d.anilinium, ammonium, ammonia
e.phenol, ethanol
Explain the trends in pKa for the five series above in terms of structure, emphasizing resonance and inductive effects. Use terms such as electrons, nuclei, protons, electron density, hybridization, s-character, and electronegativity. Do not use anthropomorphic words such as likes, or wants.
 
4.6Why is it incorrect (or at the very least, misleading) to refer to benzoic acid as a “strong organic acid”?
 

Topic 5: General - Predicting the Outcome of Acid-Base Reactions

5.1How can we use pKa values to predict the favored direction of an acid-base reaction, given structures of both reactants and products?
 
5.2If you don‘t know the exact pKa of the compounds involved, how could you still make an educated guess as to the favored direction of an acid/base reaction?
 
5.3Given just two reactants, how can we predict the products of an acid-base reaction (figure out which is the acid and which is the base, then what the two products are)?
 
5.4Given a structure of an organic compound with multiple hydrogen atoms, how do we predict which hydrogen is the most acidic?
 
5.5Given the structure of an organic compound with multiple heteroatoms, how do we predict which heteroatom is most basic?
 
11 questions
364 questions for Organic I

364 Questions for Organic I

Dearest Student. This web page is a set of questions I call Detailed Intended Learning Outcomes For Organic Chemistry (Part I). Some time ago I asked myself, "Bob, what do you think are the key questions that you hope students will be able to answer after taking Chemistry 247 at St. Olaf College?" So here you have them. Some are very simple; some require more thought. All are good questions to be thinking about as you read, discuss, and master the practical aspects of organic chemistry. They are discussion starters and review tips. There are no answers here (though there are some clues). The questions are here to help you focus on what's important (to me, at least!) and organize your learning process. The questions are grouped into topics. Bite-size chunks. Take them a few at a time. Don't feast on them all at one sitting!

(preliminary version 2021.01.15 feeback: Bob Hanson)