Organic Chemistry Reasoning Guide

This skill teaches how to think through organic chemistry problems, not what to memorize.

1. Predicting Reaction Products — A Reasoning Process

Do NOT pattern-match to a named reaction. Instead, reason from first principles:

Step 1 — Find the most reactive sites

Look at each molecule and ask: where is the electron density?

• Electron-rich sites (nucleophiles): lone pairs on N, O, S; pi bonds (C=C, aromatics); carbanions; enolates
• Electron-poor sites (electrophiles): carbons bonded to electronegative atoms (C=O, C-X); carbocations; atoms with empty orbitals

The reaction will happen where the strongest nucleophile meets the strongest electrophile.

Step 2 — What kind of bond-making/breaking is this?