Organic Chemistry Foundations Path
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon, and this path builds it from first principles. You start with why carbon bonds the way it does, then learn the functional groups — the recurring structural motifs that determine reactivity — and the systematic naming rules that let chemists talk about millions of compounds unambiguously. From there you meet isomerism and stereochemistry (same atoms, different arrangement, different chemistry) and the three great reaction families: substitution, addition, and elimination. The path closes with the oxygen-containing compounds most students meet first and with polymers, which connect organic chemistry to everyday materials. Checkpoint: after each module, redraw its key structures from memory and name one real-world example of each compound class.
Module 1: Carbon Bonding and Functional Groups
Why carbon forms four strong, directional bonds, and the functional groups — alkenes, alcohols, acids, amines and more — that act as a compound's chemical fingerprint. Checkpoint: identify the functional groups in 8 unfamiliar structures.
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Module 2: Nomenclature of Hydrocarbons
The IUPAC rules for naming hydrocarbons, starting with alkanes and moving to the double-bonded alkenes — suffixes, prefixes, and numbering done right. Checkpoint: name 6 structures and draw 6 structures from their names without errors.
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- Naming Hydrocarbons: IUPAC Nomenclature Basics
- Alkanes: The Simplest Hydrocarbons
- Alkenes: Hydrocarbons with Double Bonds
Practice
Module 3: Isomerism and Stereochemistry
Constitutional, geometric, and optical isomers — how identical formulas can hide different connectivity and three-dimensional arrangements, with a gentle introduction to chirality. Checkpoint: classify 6 isomer pairs and spot chiral centers in 5 molecules.
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Module 4: Reaction Families
The three classic reaction families: how alkanes undergo substitution, how alkenes undergo addition across the double bond, and how elimination creates double bonds. Checkpoint: predict the major product for 2 reactions from each family.
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Module 5: Oxygen-Containing Compounds
Alcohols and carboxylic acids — their structures, naming, hydrogen-bonding behavior, and the acidity that makes carboxylic acids stand out. Checkpoint: explain why carboxylic acids are more acidic than alcohols in terms of their conjugate bases.
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Module 6: Polymers and Aromatic Compounds
How monomers link into polymers (addition vs. condensation polymerization), plus the special stability of aromatic rings that underpins dyes, drugs, and plastics. Checkpoint: sketch one addition and one condensation polymerization and draw benzene's resonance forms.