Defintions

Question 1

What is covalent bonding?

Answer 1

• The strong electrostatic attraction between a shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the bonded atoms

Question 2

What is electronegativity?

Answer 2

• The ability of a bonded atom to attract the bonding electrons in a covalent bond

Question 3

What is a hydrogen bond?

Answer 3

• A special type of permanent dipole-dipole interaction found between molecules containing:
• an electronegative atom (such as F, O and N) with a lone pair of electrons
• a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom

Question 4

What is a homologous series?

Answer 4

• A series of organic compounds with the same functional group but with each successive member differing by CH2

Question 5

What is an empirical formula?

Answer 5

• The simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element present in a compound

Question 6

What are structural isomers?

Answer 6

• Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulae

Question 7

What is homolytic fission?

Answer 7

• Each atom takes one of the electrons from the covalent bond, which causes the formation of 2 radicals

Question 8

What is a radical?

Answer 8

• A species with an unpaired electron

Question 9

What is heterolytic fission?

Answer 9

• When one of the atoms takes both electrons during the breaking of the covalent bond

Question 10

What is a curly arrow?

Answer 10

• The movement of an electron pair, showing either:
• The formation of a covalent bond
• Heterolytic fission

Question 11

What are stereoisomers?

Answer 11

• Compounds with the same structural formula but with a different arrangement in space

Question 12

What is E/Z isomerism?

Answer 12

• A type of stereoisomerism in which different groups attached to each carbon of a C=C double bond may be arranged differently in space because of the restricted rotation of the C=C bond

Question 13

What is cis-trans isomerism?

Answer 13

• A type of E/Z isomerism where there are 2 non-hydrogen groups and 2 hydrogen atoms around the carbon-carbon double bond

Question 14

What is an electrophile?

Answer 14

• An electron pair acceptor
  (- They’re usually a positive ion or a molecule containing an atom with a partial positive charge)

Question 15

What is a nucleophile?

Answer 15

• An electron pair donor

Question 16

What are optical isomers?

Answer 16

• Non-superimposable mirror images