Atoms make liaisons because they get more stability. A proof is that to break a liaison, we need to give energy to the molecule. Atoms in a molecule are at a given distance, and oscillate slightly from this position depending on the energy they receive. The atoms cannot oscillate at any frequency. There are authorized […]

The table of Mendeleev is also called the periodic table of the elements. More than a simple list of the existing atoms. Mendeleev sorted the elements with regard to their oxidation/reduction by O/H  R20  R0                                         […]

Let’s resume what we know from the atoms: atoms can be broken and are composed of charged species – protons and electrons – and neutral particles – the neutrons. Atoms are different for each element (or isotope) by the number of those three species. A nucleus is at the centre of the atom and is […]

Atomic theory At the end of the XIX, it was known that the elements were made of one atom, unbreakable and different for each element. The masses of the atoms were known for several elements but their composition was still a mystery. Michaël Faraday discovered that atoms were in fact composed of charged species, even if […]

We will now discuss the types of reactions that can be performed on organic compounds. In this first year lessons, we will only focus on one of the most used reactions: the nucleophilic substitution (SN). A substitution reaction is indeed the base of the organic chemistry: its goal is to substitute one group of a […]

Other than alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and halogenoalkanes, there is a large number of functional groups that can be found in organic chemistry. In this first year, we will only take a look on the richness of possibilities that organic chemistry allows through the functional groups a carbohydrate chain can wear, and of some of their […]

Cycloalkanes A cycloalkane is, as it name shows, a cyclic alkane chain. Each carbon of the chain is bound to (at least) two carbons and two hydrogen’s. The general formula is thus CnH2n and the name of the compound is the same name as the corresponding alkane with the prefix cyclo. Cyclopropane The smallest cycle, […]

Alkenes Alkenes are organic compounds made of carbons and hydrogens. Opposite to alkanes, which have the same components, the general formula of alkenes is not CnH2n+2. Into an alkene, two carbons are bound by a pi liaison (also called double liaison). The smaller alkene is the ethene CH2=CH2. To make this liaison, each carbon shares […]

Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon and its compounds. Carbon is one element of the Mendeleev table among many others, so why is there a complete section of chemistry related to this particular element? Carbon has a valence of 4 and can thus bind with up to 4 other elements of the periodic table. […]