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Organic Chemistry

So a few days ago my friends who are studying a level chemistry told me that organic chemistry is the hardest topic of the alevel. so i was tempted to challenge myself to see if i could handle it
i watched a few videos of the basics, now i know how to draw and name alkane and alkene structures.. idk if this is the hard bit or anything but could someone maybe test me on my knowledge of this? someone with experience? also, which specific part of organic chemistry is hard? i find it quite easy..

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Reply 1
Many students struggle with doing curly arrow mechanisms (correctly). Look up mechanisms for nucleophilic/electrophilic addition/substitution (the four you'd do at A-level, i.e. na, ns, ea, es).

The other thing most students struggle with is learning the reagents and conditions for all the various reactions studied.

The weaker students tend to find naming of organic chemicals with multiple functional groups hard, e.g. the proper name for lactic acid.
Reply 2
Original post by Pigster
Many students struggle with doing curly arrow mechanisms (correctly). Look up mechanisms for nucleophilic/electrophilic addition/substitution (the four you'd do at A-level, i.e. na, ns, ea, es).

The other thing most students struggle with is learning the reagents and conditions for all the various reactions studied.

The weaker students tend to find naming of organic chemicals with multiple functional groups hard, e.g. the proper name for lactic acid.

Is this A2 level or AS? To which extent would I learn organic chemistry in AS level?
Original post by The-Deadly
Is this A2 level or AS? To which extent would I learn organic chemistry in AS level?

Here are the main AS level Chemistry organic topics - I may have missed some (these are for AQA) and relevant videos that may help you.

Nomenclature - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEO-3ogOA0
Nucleophilic Substitution - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mlBux7-sJM
Haloalkanes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXZ1--ihc1c
Electrophilic Addition - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWnBE0OiZ1s
Alkenes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZpZv08ZdYc
Elimination - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD7Ci-xnsZ4
Alcohols - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX2IWFBO5fM

Also, here is the specification which you can look through. Units 1, 2 and 3 are AS modules:
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/specifications/alevel/AQA-2420-W-SP-14.PDF
(edited 8 years ago)
Back when I did A level, my classmates found mechanisms hard. (Needlessly so really - they were just trying to learn instead of understand them. I often find with my own students now, they put way too much mental struggle into understanding proton transfer when that is not the tough bit here.) That's the major organic bit I can think of that troubled us.
Original post by The-Deadly
So a few days ago my friends who are studying a level chemistry told me that organic chemistry is the hardest topic of the alevel. so i was tempted to challenge myself to see if i could handle it
i watched a few videos of the basics, now i know how to draw and name alkane and alkene structures.. idk if this is the hard bit or anything but could someone maybe test me on my knowledge of this? someone with experience? also, which specific part of organic chemistry is hard? i find it quite easy..


I find organic chemistry compared to another lessons quite easy too. There were some harder lessons in chemical equilibrium where I have stuck now and then.

I really can't remember me to have had difficulties in organic chemistry. :dontknow:
Original post by The-Deadly
which specific part of organic chemistry is hard? i find it quite easy..


I do have to point out for this, the answer is "the entire thing, past A level". ...
Reply 7
Original post by FlowerFaerie087
I do have to point out for this, the answer is "the entire thing, past A level". ...

I thought it gets more difficult than finding names for different carbon molecules..
Reply 8
Original post by The-Deadly
I thought it gets more difficult than finding names for different carbon molecules..


Naming carbon-containing molecules is not "doing organic chemistry" any more than naming shapes is "doing geometry".
Reply 9
Original post by BJack
Naming carbon-containing molecules is not "doing organic chemistry" any more than naming shapes is "doing geometry".


Explain what else I would be expected to do at AS level..?
Reply 10
Original post by The-Deadly
Explain what else I would be expected to do at AS level..?


AS level organic:

Functional groups
Mechanisms
Nomenclature (learning rules for naming compounds)
Some structure identification (mass spec/infrared)
Isomerism (geometric)



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Organic Chemistry becomes quite easy with practise. Before that, find a motivational source so that you can study it with fun and enthusiasm.

Try not to depend on A-level books only (even if you use 5 different books) You need to do further reading, it really helps to make you stronger and will help you to purely understand the material.

If you work for it, 600/600 will come.


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Original post by Daniel Atieh
Organic Chemistry becomes quite easy with practise. Before that, find a motivational source so that you can study it with fun and enthusiasm.

Try not to depend on A-level books only (even if you use 5 different books) You need to do further reading, it really helps to make you stronger and will help you to purely understand the material.

If you work for it, 600/600 will come.


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http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/academic/series/chemistry/ocp/9780198556800.do

LOVE A PRIMER amiright
Reply 13


A Chemistry teacher at my school shares the exact same name one of the authors of that book...Michael Hornby. Do you happen to know anything about him? Google isn't really helpful :P

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Original post by The-Deadly
So a few days ago my friends who are studying a level chemistry told me that organic chemistry is the hardest topic of the alevel. so i was tempted to challenge myself to see if i could handle it
i watched a few videos of the basics, now i know how to draw and name alkane and alkene structures.. idk if this is the hard bit or anything but could someone maybe test me on my knowledge of this? someone with experience? also, which specific part of organic chemistry is hard? i find it quite easy..


So Innocent. :laugh:
Jk, its not that hard - that what you did was very basic.

Learn reaction mechanisms.
Interpretation of IR and Mass Spec and create suggestions on them.
Isomerism definitions and identification.

Kinda the hardest I could think of.
Original post by Dylann
A Chemistry teacher at my school shares the exact same name one of the authors of that book...Michael Hornby. Do you happen to know anything about him? Google isn't really helpful :P

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Michael Hornby, Senior Tutor, Stowe School, Buckinghamshire

Is that the fella?
Reply 16
I saw that, checked the school's website and used their "search teacher" function but couldn't find him, so he must have left. Not surprised since the book was published in 1997, although the teacher at my school did join last year (and looks like he could have written the book in the late 90s, I guess...) also that school is independent and mine is a state sixth form college...I've finished school now anyway so I can't go and ask him...maybe on results day I'll see him. He's not a teacher of mine either. Oh well, probably just a coincidence :P
Original post by Dylann
A Chemistry teacher at my school shares the exact same name one of the authors of that book...Michael Hornby. Do you happen to know anything about him? Google isn't really helpful :P

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Do you go the Stowe School in Buckinghamshire?
Reply 18
Original post by Infraspecies
Do you go the Stowe School in Buckinghamshire?


Nope as I said in my reply above I go to a completely different style of school :P

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Original post by Dylann
Nope as I said in my reply above I go to a completely different style of school :P

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Don't worry, I'm far too drunk to have read that.

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