Chemistry: Real Help
Acids and Bases An understanding of acids and bases forms an essential part of a total grasp of chemistry. It encompasses many of the chemical concepts you learn early in a first semester. Organic chemistry and biochemistry cannot be understood without a mastery of acids and bases.…
A central idea used to predict how chemicals react to form products, is the concept of chemical equilibrium. Chemical equations show reactants with arrows transform into products. However, many reactions do not completely transform all the reactants into products. Many reactions result in a mixture of reactants…
Learn how to write Lewis structure of simple molecules
Orbital Hybridization Orbital hybridization controls the local geometry around an atom. More than any other factor, the hybridization state of electron orbitals is responsible for the shape of molecules. Solitary atoms undergo orbital hybridization under the influence of interactions with other atoms. This allows orbitals with different energies…
Electron Configurations Up To 3rd Period The electron configurations and orbital diagrams of the first three rows (periods) of the periodic table occupy an important role. The configurations form the basis of chemical behavior. Periodic Table to Electron Shells Periods and Electron Shells The…
Electron Shells Electron shells and orbitals hold electrons in a specific pattern. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons. This makes the number of electrons equal to an element’s atomic number. The electrons reside somewhere away from the nucleus. The positive charge concentrates…
Molecular Shape Important The structure of a molecule is not complete until you know the molecular shape. Molecules which have seemingly an identical molecular shape often have very different chemical properties. The featured image above shows a flow chart you can use to deduce the electron geometry…
The difference between a polar molecule and a nonpolar molecule depends on molecular geometry. Polar Bonds Polar result when two different elements share electrons and form a covalent bond. Each element has a characteristic electronegativity. A more electronegative element has a stronger attraction for electrons it shares in a…
Bond polarity comes from different elements having different electronegativity; the innate ability to attract electrons within a covalent bond. Electronegativity Each element has a value for electronegativity to compare how two atoms distribute negative charge when they share electrons. Electronegativity Property of Atoms Electronegativity expresses…
The four stepping stones to organic chemistry come from general chemistry you already know. Atoms Each element passes important properties through all levels of organization: electronegativity The positive charge from the nucleus compared to the distance of the outer electron gives a different ability to attract…