UNIT OVERVIEW

You have already learned how to name organic compounds and identify their functional groups. Now you will discover why these molecules behave the way they do. Why does petrol evaporate quickly while cooking oil barely evaporates? Why can you dissolve sugar in water but not candle wax? The answers lie in the relationship between molecular structure and physical properties.

In this unit, you will learn how the structure of organic molecules—their chain length, branching, and functional groups—determines their physical and chemical properties. You will also learn about organic reactions: combustion, substitution, addition, elimination, and esterification.