Kaplan MCAT Organic Chemistry Chapters 1–12 Complete Notes &
Practice 2026 | Rated A+
Heteroatoms - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-atoms that are not carbon or hydrogen.
-O,N,P, or halogens
oxidation state - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- increases with more bonds to
heteroatoms
- decreases with more bonds hydrogen
sec-butyl - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
neo-pentyl - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-alcohols with 2 hydroxyl groups
geminal diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-diols with hydroxyl groups on the same
carbon
vicinal diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-diols with hydroxyl groups on adjacent
carbons
,Formaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
acetaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
propionaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
phthalic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
succinic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
acetic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Major functional groups - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔*highest oxidation state to
lowest:
1) carboxylic acid
2) anhydride
3) esters
4) amides
5) aldehydes
6) ketones
7) alcohol
8) alkenes
9) alkynes
10) alkanes
,physical properties - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- characteristics of a substance that
can be observed or measured without changing the substance
-EX: mp, bp, odor, density, color, solubility
chemical properties - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔Characteristics of a substance that
determine how it will react with other substances.
Isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔Compounds with the same formula but different
structures.
EX: C5H12 with two different structure
structural (constitutional) isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-same molecular
formula, different connectivity
-same molecular weight
Flowchart of Isomer Relationships - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Stereoisomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-same chemical formula.
-same atomic connectivity
-different in how atoms are arranged in space
-slow at low temperature
, conformational isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-differ by rotation around a
single sigma bond
-most similar
-same molecule
Cycloalkanes - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-can be stable or unstable depending on
ring strain
-Ring strain arises from 3 factors:
1) angle strain:
-results when bond angles deviate from their ideal values by being stretched or
compressed
2) Torsional strain
-when cyclic molecules must assume conformations that have eclipsed or gauche
3) Nonbonded strain (van der waals repulsion):
-when non adjacent atoms compete for the same space
chair conformation - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-The chair-shaped conformation of
cyclohexane that has no angle strain and has no torsional strain because it is
perfectly staggered about all the C-C bonds. It is strain free.
-bulkiest group favor equatorial position to reduce nonbonded strain (flagpole
interactions) with axial groups
Practice 2026 | Rated A+
Heteroatoms - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-atoms that are not carbon or hydrogen.
-O,N,P, or halogens
oxidation state - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- increases with more bonds to
heteroatoms
- decreases with more bonds hydrogen
sec-butyl - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
neo-pentyl - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-alcohols with 2 hydroxyl groups
geminal diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-diols with hydroxyl groups on the same
carbon
vicinal diols - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-diols with hydroxyl groups on adjacent
carbons
,Formaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
acetaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
propionaldehyde - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
phthalic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
succinic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
acetic anhydride - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Major functional groups - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔*highest oxidation state to
lowest:
1) carboxylic acid
2) anhydride
3) esters
4) amides
5) aldehydes
6) ketones
7) alcohol
8) alkenes
9) alkynes
10) alkanes
,physical properties - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- characteristics of a substance that
can be observed or measured without changing the substance
-EX: mp, bp, odor, density, color, solubility
chemical properties - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔Characteristics of a substance that
determine how it will react with other substances.
Isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔Compounds with the same formula but different
structures.
EX: C5H12 with two different structure
structural (constitutional) isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-same molecular
formula, different connectivity
-same molecular weight
Flowchart of Isomer Relationships - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔
Stereoisomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-same chemical formula.
-same atomic connectivity
-different in how atoms are arranged in space
-slow at low temperature
, conformational isomers - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-differ by rotation around a
single sigma bond
-most similar
-same molecule
Cycloalkanes - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-can be stable or unstable depending on
ring strain
-Ring strain arises from 3 factors:
1) angle strain:
-results when bond angles deviate from their ideal values by being stretched or
compressed
2) Torsional strain
-when cyclic molecules must assume conformations that have eclipsed or gauche
3) Nonbonded strain (van der waals repulsion):
-when non adjacent atoms compete for the same space
chair conformation - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-The chair-shaped conformation of
cyclohexane that has no angle strain and has no torsional strain because it is
perfectly staggered about all the C-C bonds. It is strain free.
-bulkiest group favor equatorial position to reduce nonbonded strain (flagpole
interactions) with axial groups
