2 x 1 hour lessons

This module lays the foundations for studying organic chemistry by introducing the rules of IUPAC nomenclature and the basic types of organic reaction mechanisms. You’ll learn how to name organic compounds containing alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, haloalkanes, and carboxylic acids — including recognition of stem names, prefixes, and suffixes.

You’ll also be introduced to common types of organic reactions, including substitution, addition, and elimination. The module explains how to represent reaction mechanisms using curly arrows, and how to deduce the likely type of mechanism based on the reactants involved.

By the end of this module, you’ll be able to:

• Apply IUPAC rules to name straight-chain and branched organic molecules

• Identify functional groups and classify compounds accordingly

• Recognise and distinguish between different types of organic reactions

• Represent simple organic mechanisms using curly arrow notation

OCR (A) specification points covered:
4.1.1 Basic concepts of organic chemistry