Chemistry 331: Objectives for Exam 1

Solve all of the assigned problems from the text listed in the Study Guide. Do not look up answers before you have worked out your own solution for each problem. If you can't solve a problem, go back to the relevant section of the text and reread the section and try again before referring to the solution. The process that you use for working the problems is more important than getting a right answer.

You should be able to: 

1. Draw correct Lewis structures for both molecular and ionic compounds, including formal charges. [1.2-1.6]
2. Draw Lewis structures, condensed structural formulas, and bond-line formulas for organic molecules. [1.7]
3. Write structural formulas for all the constitutional isomers of a given molecular formula. [1.8]
4. Draw resonance structures for delocalized systems and decide which among them is more stable. [1.9]
5. Predict the shapes (geometries from VSEPR theory) and polarities of molecules. [1.10-1.11]
6. Use the periodic table as an aid to predicting acid-base strengths [1.12-1.17]
7. Be aware of the strong acids and bases and correlate with pKa's. [1.16]
8. Know how to recognize and predict Lewis acids and bases as well as Bronsted acids and bases. Be able to predict relative acidities and basicities using the periodic table. [1.12-1.17]
9. Understand valence-bond theory as applied to simple alkanes and the elements of MO theory as applied to molecular hydrogen [2.1-2.5]
10. Determine the hybridization of atoms in organic molecules. [2.6-2.7; 2.20-2.21]
11. Classify hydrocarbons as aliphatic or aromatic, alkane, alkene, alkyne, or arene. [2.1]
12. Draw all the constitutional isomers for an alkane. [2.5-2.10]
13. Given a structure write the IUPAC name, or given an IUPAC name draw the structure, of any alkane or cycloalkane. [2.10-2.15]
14. Relate physical and chemical properties of alkanes to their structures. [2.16-2.17]
15. Determine whether an organic reaction is an oxidation, a reduction, or neither. [2.18-2.19]
16. Draw Newman projections for the staggered and eclipsed, anti and gauche conformations of alkanes and rank them according to their relative energies. [3.1-3.3]
17. Explain the nonplanar shapes of cycloalkanes in terms of angle strain, torsional strain, and steric strain. [3.4-3.6, 3.11]
18. Draw chair conformations of cyclohexane and of substituted cyclohexanes, clearly indicating the axial and equatorial positions. [3.7-3.10]
19. Recognize stereoisomers in disubstituted cycloalkanes. [3.12]
20. Conformationally analyze disubstituted cyclohexanes to determine which chair conformer is of lower energy. [3.12]
21. Classify and draw polycyclic and bicyclic alkanes. [3.14]
22. Recognize and draw heterocyclic rings. [3.15]

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