Organic Chemistry Study Guide Exam Questions and
Answers Graded A+ 2025/2026
aliphatic - Pertaining to any member of one of the two major groups of
organic compounds, those having straight or branched chain structures.
vinylic - the carbon atoms of a carbon-carbon double bond
higher stability= - lower energy
higher acidity= - higher conjugate base stability
higher acidity= - lower basicity
higher pKa= - stronger base
Zaitsev's Rule - The most substituted alkene is formed preferentially
Markovnikov - The H atom will always bond to the C with more H
diastereomer - Stereoisomers that are not mirror images of one another
nucleophilicity - decreases across a period and increases down a group
enantiomer - stereoisomers with nonsuperimposible mirror images; "twins"
constitutional isomer - compounds with the same molecular formula but
different connections among their atoms
E2 - requires a strong (preferrably bulky) base, adds antiperiplanar
switching stereochemistry
SN2 - requires a strong nucleophile, adds antiperiplanar switching
stereochemistry
racemic - In chemistry, a mixture that has equal amounts of left- and right-
handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule. (no optical activity)
meso compound - A compound with chirality centers and an internal plane
of symmetry causing it to be an achiral molecule
, aromatic ring (unsaturation) - 4 degrees
aliphatic ring (unsaturation) - 1 degree
more branching= - lower boiling point
protic - a solvent with a hydrogen attached to a highly electronegative atom
aprotic - doesnt have H attached to electronegative atom
SN1 - tertiary carbons; polar protic nucleophile
E1 - tertiary carbons; polar protic bases (bulky)
Gibbs free energy <0= - spontaneous; delta H-t*deltaS
~18 (pKa) - alcohol
~25 (pKa) - alkyne
~15.7 (pKa) - water
~10 (pKa) - amine
bond dissociation energy - the energy required to break the bond between
two covalently bonded atoms (homolytically)
vicinal - substituents attached to adjacent carbons
anti-Markovnikov - electrophile adds to the less substituted carbon
R-X - Functional Group: alkyl halide
R-C=C-R - Functional Group: alkene
R-C---C-R (triple bond) - Functional group: alkyne
R-OH - FG: Alcohol
Answers Graded A+ 2025/2026
aliphatic - Pertaining to any member of one of the two major groups of
organic compounds, those having straight or branched chain structures.
vinylic - the carbon atoms of a carbon-carbon double bond
higher stability= - lower energy
higher acidity= - higher conjugate base stability
higher acidity= - lower basicity
higher pKa= - stronger base
Zaitsev's Rule - The most substituted alkene is formed preferentially
Markovnikov - The H atom will always bond to the C with more H
diastereomer - Stereoisomers that are not mirror images of one another
nucleophilicity - decreases across a period and increases down a group
enantiomer - stereoisomers with nonsuperimposible mirror images; "twins"
constitutional isomer - compounds with the same molecular formula but
different connections among their atoms
E2 - requires a strong (preferrably bulky) base, adds antiperiplanar
switching stereochemistry
SN2 - requires a strong nucleophile, adds antiperiplanar switching
stereochemistry
racemic - In chemistry, a mixture that has equal amounts of left- and right-
handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule. (no optical activity)
meso compound - A compound with chirality centers and an internal plane
of symmetry causing it to be an achiral molecule
, aromatic ring (unsaturation) - 4 degrees
aliphatic ring (unsaturation) - 1 degree
more branching= - lower boiling point
protic - a solvent with a hydrogen attached to a highly electronegative atom
aprotic - doesnt have H attached to electronegative atom
SN1 - tertiary carbons; polar protic nucleophile
E1 - tertiary carbons; polar protic bases (bulky)
Gibbs free energy <0= - spontaneous; delta H-t*deltaS
~18 (pKa) - alcohol
~25 (pKa) - alkyne
~15.7 (pKa) - water
~10 (pKa) - amine
bond dissociation energy - the energy required to break the bond between
two covalently bonded atoms (homolytically)
vicinal - substituents attached to adjacent carbons
anti-Markovnikov - electrophile adds to the less substituted carbon
R-X - Functional Group: alkyl halide
R-C=C-R - Functional Group: alkene
R-C---C-R (triple bond) - Functional group: alkyne
R-OH - FG: Alcohol
