Organic Chemistry #3: Organic Reactions and Mechanisms (Slides and Student Led Tasks)

LESSON OBJECTIVE: Describe homolytic and heterolytic fission, understand how to draw reaction mechanisms for both and identify a number of characteristic organic reactions.

In this lesson we introduce the idea of reaction mechanisms to communicate the steps in an organic reaction and the concepts of homolytic and heteroytic fission. We also summarise the main types of organic reactions (addition, elimination, substitution, hydrolysis, oxidation and reduction). This is lesson three in our organic chemistry series of Unit 14: An introduction to organic chemistry (from the Cambridge International AS Chemistry Curriculum (9701) 2019-2021 curriculum).

Learning Outcomes:
(taken from the Cambridge International AS and A Level Chemistry (9701) 2019-2021 curriculum)
14.2 Characteristic organic reactions
a) interpret and use the following terminology associated with types of organic reactions:
(i) functional group
(ii) homolytic and heterolytic fission
(iii) free radical, initiation, propagation, termination
(iv) nucleophile, electrophile
(v) addition, substitution, elimination, hydrolysis, condensation
(vi) oxidation and reduction
(in equations for organic redox reactions, the symbols [O] and [H] are acceptable for oxidising and reducing agents