Stuff on this page:

Chem 14B   |   Chem 14C   |   Chem 14D

Chem 30A   |   Chem 30B   |   Chem 30C

Miscellaneous Topics


Organic Chemistry Concept Focus Questions (CFQ): Instructions for Use

Help! I  am having trouble opening pdf files!

Purpose: The purpose of the Concept Focus Questions is to guide your reading, study and note taking to focus on the most important fundamental concepts.  They provide a framework upon which more detail can be integrated into an appropriate perspective.  They allow you to practice stating concepts in your own words.  For exam review, they provide a list of absolute minimum knowledge that must be mastered, rather than a comprehensive list of all exam concepts.

CFQ and practice problems are written assuming you have a text in front of you.  Exam questions are written assuming you have mastered all the CFQ and practice problems, and that you don't have a text in front of you.  The CFQ and practice problem answers are usually significantly longer than expected from a student taking the exam.  These longer answers serve not only to reveal what would have been expected had the question appeared on an exam, but to instruct you as well.

Use these Concept Focus Questions (CFQ) to focus your thoughts on the most important concepts in a unit or chapter.  Here is what I have found to work best.

Before lecture:

During lecture: After lecture:


Organic Chemistry Practice Problems (PP): Instructions for Use

The practice problems are meant to:
Many of these problems are drawn from past Hardinger exams. The list is intended to be illustrative, not comprehensive. That a question is or is not on this list, or a topic is not covered should not be construed to mean it will or will not be on an exam.

Give each problem serious effort before looking at the answers. Think the problem through and write down the answer just as if this was the real exam. However, don't spend more than ten minutes on any one aspect of the problem. If you don't have a good idea about it by then, you need to study the subject some more. Download the solutions only after you have given significant thought and written out answers to the questions below. Looking at the key before you have put in a good effort with the practice questions will reduce the learning value of your efforts.

"Briefly explain" usually means no more than 4 - 5 logical, concise sentences.  Answers provided here are often longer, as they are intended to be more comprehensive than concise.

Your exam answers must stand for themselves. You cannot attempt to explain an answer after the exam is over. Therefore make sure that your answer says exactly what you want it to say. Also be sure that you have provided the exact information requested in the question.

Don't neglect the exercises in the text or review of previous exams from earlier in this quarter!

For additional problems, explore other organic chemistry class web pages.
 

Many spectra included with these CFQ & PP are drawn from these three resources:


CFQ & PP List

These CFQ & PP are in PDF format, and require the use of the Adobe Acrobat browser plug-in.

You may also purchase a complete set of some of the printed CFQ & PP in the bookstore for Dr H's current courses.

Chem 14C   |   Chem 14D

Chem 30A   |   Chem 30B   |   Chem 30C

Miscellaneous Topics


Chemistry 14C

All Chemistry 14C Concept Focus Questions, Practice Problems, etc. are available in the Chemistry 14C Thinkbook, which can be purchased at the Ackerman bookstore. The Chemistry 14C Lecture Supplement (PowerPoint slides) are also available at Ackerman.

Chemistry 14D

All Chemistry 14C Concept Focus Questions, Practice Problems, etc. are available in the Chemistry 14D Thinkbook, which can be purchased at the Ackerman bookstore.


Chemistry 30A  Fully Updated for Spring 2004
Chemistry 30B

All Chemistry 30B Lecture Supplements, Concept Focus Questions, Practice Problems, etc. are available in the Chemistry 30B Thinkbook, which can be purchased at the Ackerman bookstore.


Chemistry 30C  Fully Updated for Spring 2002

Structure Determination

Conjugation, Aromaticity and Molecular Orbital Theory
  • Conjugation and Molecular Orbital Theory
  • Introduction to Aromaticity
  • Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution
  • Aryl Halides and Phenols
  • Miscellaneous Topics
  • Heterocycles
  • Pericyclic Reactions
  • Carbohydrates
  • Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids

  • Miscellaneous Topics