In organic chemistry, functional groups (or reactive centers) are small structural units within molecules that dictate how most of the compound's chemical reactions occur. Know these common functional groups you will run into in organic chemistry:
About This Article
This article is from the book:
About the book author:
Arthur Winter, PhD, is the author of the popular Organic Chemistry Help! website chemhelper.com and Organic Chemistry I For Dummies. His professional focus is on the chemistry of magneto-organic materials.
This article can be found in the category:
Hot off the press
Explore Related content
Chemistry
Articles
How to Make Unit Conversions
When studying chemistry you often need to convert units, such as meters and inches. Here are some easy conversion methods to use.
Chemistry
Articles
How to Convert Units Using Conversion Factors
Learn how to quickly convert between measurement units using this handy conversion-factor chart and some simple algebra!
Chemistry
Articles
How to Build Derived Units from Base Units
Learn formulas for common derived units, including area, volume, density, and pressure.
Chemistry
Articles
How to Add and Subtract with Exponential Notation
If you're studying chemistry, you'll need to know how to add and subtract extreme numbers using exponential notation. Here's how.
Chemistry
Articles
How to Do Arithmetic with Significant Figures
Learn how to follow significant figure rules for adding and subtracting as well as multiplying and dividing.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Organic Chemistry I For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Get a good grasp of the basics of organic chemistry, including the periodic table of elements and reactive centers.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Organic Chemistry I Workbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet
This Cheat Sheet serves as a handy reference to the periodic table and the fundamentals of organic chemistry.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Organic Chemistry II For Dummies Cheat Sheet
This Organic Chemistry II Cheat Sheet includes tips for doing well in your class and for preparing for an exam.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Chemistry For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Your Chem I class doesn't have to be torture. This handy Cheat Sheet explains chemistry lingo and concepts to make the topic a little less overwhelming.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Chemistry II For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Use this Cheat Sheet as a guide to how to solve various types of Chemistry II problems, including kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Inorganic Chemistry For Dummies Cheat Sheet
This handy Cheat Sheet summarizes all you can learn by studying inorganic chemistry, which includes the elements of Earth and beyond.
Chemistry
Cheat Sheet
Chemistry: 1001 Practice Problems For Dummies Cheat Sheet
This Cheat Sheet provides some basic formulas, techniques, and tips you can use to help solve chemistry problems.
Chemistry
Step by Step
Organic Compounds with Important Biological Functions
Learn about the four organic compounds — carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids — and their important biological functions.
Where to find
shop now
Available at these book sellers across the United States.
Organic Chemistry I For Dummies
Find a Book Store Near You
