John T. Moore

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-09-2023

Organic Chemistry II is one of the toughest courses you can take. Surviving isn’t easy — you probably know that from your Organic Chemistry I class. Preparation is key: If you study the basics of organic chemistry the right way, prepare for your tests, and know your aromatic systems, you’re off to a great start!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

Chemistry II is more than fires and smelly explosions. Chemistry II is more about solving calculations. In fact, Chemistry II has a lot more calculations and math than your Chemistry I class did. In your Chemistry II class, you need to master several formulas so you can calculate different mathematical problems, ranging from kinetics, different types of equilibrium, thermochemistry, and electrochemistry. This Cheat Sheet can serve as a quick reference to how to solve kinetics, thermodynamics, and different types of equilibrium problems.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-23-2022

Studying amino acids (the building blocks of proteins, which humans need to grow and develop) is essential in biochemistry. The four subgroups of amino acids are nonpolar, polar and uncharged, acidic, and basic. This Cheat Sheet provides a handy, quick reference to these four subgroups.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 07-22-2021

During the first year of high school chemistry or the first semester of college chemistry, all the terms, units of measurement, and atoms, molecules, elements, and compounds may seem a bit overwhelming. The good news: Your Chem I class doesn't have to be torture. This handy Cheat Sheet provides some basic information you can refer to regularly to make your chemistry class just a tiny bit easier.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 07-15-2021

You have to have a good understanding of all sorts of problems to successfully get through a chemistry class. Many of those problems require you to follow a certain process to get to the right solution: Perhaps it’s a series of rules you must follow, a conversion you need to use, or a formula you have to apply. Some of these end up being common themes in many of the chemistry problems you encounter. In the following sections, you find some of the most common processes you need to use on a daily basis in chemistry.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

In an Organic Chemistry II class you often add groups to aromatic systems. If you’re wondering where the substitution will take place, check out this table for some guidelines. When using this table, remember two things: O-p-directors always beat m-directors. Strong activators always beat weak activators. Classification of Various Aromatic Substituents Ortho-Para-Directors Very Strong Activators -NH2, -NHR, -NR2, -OH, -O– Moderate Activators -OR, -NH-CO-R, -O-CO-R Weak Activators -R, -C6H5 Mild Deactivators -F, -Cl, -Br, -I Meta-Directors Very Strong Deactivators -N+R3, -NO2, -CN, -CCl3, -CF3 Moderate to Mild Deactivators -CN, -SO3H, -CO-R, -COOH, -COOR, -CONH2, -N+H3

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Organic Chemistry II doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think. Follow these study tips to improve your understanding of organic chemistry, from carbon atom bonds to unnamed reactions, and everything in between: Don’t simply memorize concepts, learn the concepts by working exercises. Keep up with the material by studying Organic Chemistry II a minimum of six days a week. Buy and use a model kit. For each reaction you study, know where and why the electrons are moving. Learn those named (and unnamed) reactions. Use other resources in addition to your textbook (like the excellent Organic Chemistry II For Dummies, written by John T. Moore and Richard H. Langley and published by Wiley). Read ahead in your textbook before class. Take really good class notes and recopy them as soon as possible. If you need help, ask questions.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Taking an Organic Chemistry II test has a completely deserved reputation for being tough. Make life easier by following these tips before you take your next organic chemistry exam: Remember that the carbon atom forms four bonds. Don’t cram the night (or even a week) before a test. Attend class religiously. Correct the mistakes you made on previous exams and don’t make the same mistakes again. Assign formal charges and use them to help decide most probable structure, sites for nucleophilic/electrophilic attack, and so on. When writing an organic reaction, be sure you don’t lose any carbon atoms. Relax and get enough sleep the night before an exam. Include E/Z, R/S, and cis/trans prefixes when naming organic structures. Think of spectroscopic data, especially NMR, as puzzle pieces and try to fit them together. Work problem sets and practice exams twice. If you find you’ve drawn a compound in which a carbon doesn’t have four bonds, go back to the beginning of this list.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Amino acids are important to the study of biochemistry because they're the building blocks of proteins found in all cells. The basic group of amino acids is represented here:

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Amino acids play an important role in the study of biochemistry. The following nonpolar amino acids are hydrophobic, or water-hating. They don't gratefully interact with (dissolve in) water. Here are the nonpolar amino acids: