CH 320M- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 22 pages long!)
Document Summary
Ochem rules of the day 9/1/2017: assigning formal charge is not theory, it is a method of counting the total number of protons vs. electrons around given atom so we can quickly identify molecules with an overall charge. Understanding where polar covalent bonds are in molecules allows you to predict chemical properties including reactivitythis is. The classic example is a b-n bond: the vsepr model assumes areas of electron density repel each other, so areas of electron density are distributed around an atom to be as far apart as possible. Remember to count both lone pairs and bonds as areas of electron density (note that a double or triple bond counts as a single area of electron density). 4 areas of electron density = tetrahedron, 3 areas of electron density = trigonal planar, 2 areas of electron density = linear. These make great test questions since they test your understanding of geometry and bond dipole moments.
