Organic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that focuses on a single element: carbon! Carbon bonds strongly with other carbon atoms and with other elements, forming numerous chain and ring structures. As a result, there are millions of distinct carbon compounds known and classified.
The vast majority of the molecules that contain carbon are considered organic molecules, with few debatable exceptions such as carbon nanotubes, diamonds, carbonate ions, and carbon dioxide. Carbon is central to the existence of life as it is an essential component of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), sugars, lipids, and proteins. A well-rounded student of science must take courses in organic chemistry to understand its application to various topics, such as the study of polymers (plastics and other materials), hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, molecular biology, biochemistry, and other life sciences.
In the first semester of organic chemistry, you will learn the basic concepts needed to understand the three-dimensional structure of an organic molecule, predict the reactivity of a given molecule (based on its chemical structure), and recognize the mechanisms behind a chemical reaction. You will explore different explanations of how atoms bind in carbon-based molecules and learn about the simplest carbon structures (alkanes) before moving on to more complex carbon structures (alkenes and alkynes) and their reactions.
Course Requirements: Have completed the following courses as prerequisites: Introduction to Mechanics, Introduction to Electromagnetism, Single-Variable Calculus I, Single-Variable Calculus II, General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II.
