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Studying (Organic) Chem for the past few hours. I could understand everything, except one thing- the $%^&* Markonikov's Rule. Spent a lot of time thinking it through. Mr Lim's powerpoint handouts are usually very comprehensive, but this one on why the Halogen of a Hydrogen Halide will combine with the Carbon with the most alkyl groups (during a reaction between and Alkene and a Hydrogen Halide) wasn't that good. I couldn't understand it at all.
Just when I was gonna give up and just hope that there won't be a question on that, I had a stroke of genius. Of course, it's indirectly thanks to the links on Mr Lim's Chem record book on the IVLE (online student workspace thingy). I say indirectly, 'cos those links inspired me to do my own Google searching. And I found just what I needed. So now I finally UNDERSTAND. Don't wanna elaborate the full details of what I understand, very troublesome.
When I suddenly understood, I had a tremendous rush of adrenaline, man. My personal message on MSN changed from "muggin" to "EUREKA!!!". Songbo! Felt really good about Chem for the first time in a long while. This is what I like about Chem, man. The sudden rush of excitement when I finally understand the concept after some hard thinking. YEah! I never get that for Physics, haha. It's just boring. At least the physics we learn in Sec. school is boring, Quantum physics is very exciting (reading a book on it- see an earlier post).
Shit, sounding like a nerd.
Now I just hope what I 'understand' is actually correct. It's seems quite logical to me. Anyway, maybe this is just the morale booster I need to get that A1 for Chem tomorrow.
Still feeling the adrenaline! Also a little afraid I'll forget what I just understood about that concept. Hm... maybe I'll put my explanation from a converstion I had with Yu Tse (chem pro) on MSN here...take this as the eg: CH3-CH=CH2
ok, imagine the positive charge is somewhere between the 2nd C and the 3rd C.
we learn that 2 deg is more stable than 1 deg. This is 'cos the 2 deg C, which is the 2nd C, can disperse the positive charge over 2 other Cs, but the 1deg C can only disperse the positive charge to 1 other C.
So if the positive charge forms on the 2nd C, it's be more stable.
in other words, the positive charge can fall on either the 2nd or 3rd C. But it'll more likely fall on the 2nd C, 'cos that outcome is more stable.
(Note: '1deg' refers to a C atom with 1 alkyl group attached, so on so forth)
hyperxi's life @
9/13/2005 10:21:00 pm
