Calculations for AS and A level Chemistry
Being confident in tackling different types of mole calculation is the foundation upon which much of A level chemistry stands
From the blog
Addition polymers and their properties
Polymers are long chain molecules made via addition polymerisation or condensation polymerisation – the result are all the plastics, fibres
Electrophilic addition reactions in alkenes (1)
Now that you have been introduced to the terminology and fundamental ideas of reaction mechanisms, it is time to focus
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Stabilising carbocations through inductive and mesomeric effects
Inductive and mesomeric effects both play an important role in determining how organic reactions happen through their abilities to stabilise
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How do organic reactions actually happen?
Most reactions take place via two or three steps with short-lived, unstable, intermediate ions bridging the steps from reactants to
Stereoisomerism and the Cahn, Ingold, Prelog rules
Alkenes cannot rotate through their C=C double bond, it locks the structure of the molecule in place at that point.
Continue readingStereoisomerism and the Cahn, Ingold, Prelog rules
CFCs and the ozone layer
The chemistry that underlies the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere by chlorofluorocarbon molecules is really interesting – an application
Heterogeneous catalysis and catalytic converters
Catalysts are able to lower the activation enthalpy, Ea, for a reaction, increasing the number of successful collisions between reactants
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What is photochemical smog and how do we prevent it from forming?
Photochemical smog is a brownish haze caused by the action of the sun’s visible and ultraviolet radiation on the primary
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The Greenhouse Effect
Global warming and the greenhouse effect are topics that everyone feels they know well enough (because you’ve done them to
What are free radical substitution reactions?
Alkanes are exceptionally boring and unreactive molecules chemically speaking but we can persuade them to react with halogens in the
Continue readingWhat are free radical substitution reactions?