5B: Molecules & Interactions · Flashcards

Question

Why can't a $C - H$ bond serve as a hydrogen-bond donor?

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Answer

Carbon is not electronegative enough.

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Question

What does "like dissolves like" mean for solubility?

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Answer

Solutes dissolve best in solvents with similar polarity and IMF type.

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Question

A chiral center vs. a chiral molecule: what is the trap?

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Answer

Meso compounds have stereocenters yet are achiral; chirality is a whole-molecule property.

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Question

A carbon is bonded to $- O H$ , $- C H O$ , $- C H_{3}$ , and $- H$ , with $- H$ pointing away. What key insight makes the R/S assignment possible?

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Answer

Compare $- C H O$ vs $- C H_{3}$ by CIP; $C = O$ counts as duplicated O atoms.

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