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This course will introduce students to the topics in organic chemistry and is meant to give students interested in the sciences and health professions knowledge of the subject before taking it in college.  Students will need to have a good understanding of general chemistry to succeed in the course, however students do not need to have a strong grasp of mathematics to understand the topics presented.

We will focus on a specific topic or series of topics each week with previous concepts being integrated into later topics when appropriate.  Material will be taught by video using examples and illustrations and at the end of each class a worksheet will be presented to help solidify the concepts.  Students may pause the video while they fill in the worksheet and then start it to see the presentation of the answers.  Optional homework assignments with answers will further help students master the concepts.  An optional assessment at the end of each unit (every five weeks) will test the knowledge of the student.

CLASS 1 - INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
We’ll talk about what makes a compound organic and then we’ll go over the various functional groups, formal charge, and VESPR theory.

CLASS 2 - NAMING ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
We’ll learn the rules for naming organic compounds with various functional groups.

CLASS 3 - HYBRIDIZATION 
We’ll talk about what it means for a compound to have hybridized orbitals and learn to identify the type of hybridization for a particular atom engaged in a bond.

CLASS 4 - RESONANCE
We’ll discuss what the concept of resonance is and learn how to draw resonance structures for different compounds.

CLASS 5 - CONSTITUTIONAL ISOMERS AND STEREOISOMERS
We’ll talk about the various types of isomers and learn the differences between them and how to draw them.  

CLASS 6 - CYCLOALKANES
We’ll talk about how to represent the various cycloalkanes and why some cycloalkanes are more common than others, as well as why some conformations are more common than others. 

CLASS 7 - ADDITION TO ALKENES
We’ll see how various molecules can add across the double bond of an alkene in a reaction.

CLASS 8 - FREE RADICAL REACTIONS
We’ll talk about what a free radical is and how reactions with them are initiated, propagated, and terminated.  

CLASS 9 - ENANTIOMERS
We’ll take a closer look at a special case of stereoisomers and their properties and discuss the R/S configurations of chiral centers as well as racemates.

CLASS 10 - SEPARATION METHODS USED IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
We’ll take a look at chromatography, distillation, and other methods used to separate organic compounds based on their physical properties.  

CLASS 11 - SN1 REACTIONS
We’ll take a look at the mechanism and products of the nucleophilic substitution 1 reaction.

CLASS 12 - SN2 REACTIONS
We’ll take a look at the mechanism and products in of the nucleophilic substitution 2 reaction.

CLASS 13 - E1 REACTIONS
We’ll take a look at the mechanism and products of the elimination 1 reaction.

CLASS 14 - E2 REACTIONS
We’ll take a look at the mechanism and products of the elimination 2 reaction.

CLASS 15 - SN1/SN2/E1/E2
We’ll compare and contrast the various reactions studied and determine when one will predominate and when you will get a mixture of products from two reactions competing against each other.