1. Organic Chemistry
Common Mistakes

2. Organic Chemistry
Identify chiral carbons (Optical Isomers)
Tip 1: Ignore Cs in double bonds
- they have only 3 neighbours
Tip 2: Ignore “V-shaped Cs”
- they are bonded to 2H (same groups)

3. Organic Chemistry
Identify chiral carbons (Optical Isomers)
Tip 3: Look for Cs that look like:
Tip 4: Draw displayed formula if required.

4. Organic Chemistry
Draw Optical Isomers
Error 1: C* not bonded to C

5. Organic Chemistry
Draw Optical Isomers
Error 2: Reflecting groups i.e. H3CH2CH2C–

6. Organic Chemistry
Writing Free Radical Mechanism
Error 1: Wrong arrows

7. Organic Chemistry
Writing Free Radical Mechanism
Error 2: Forget to put “UV light”

8. Organic Chemistry
Writing Free Radical Mechanism
Error 3: Use of molecular formulae.

9. Organic Chemistry
Writing Free Radical Mechanism
Error 4: Wrong halogen.
Under exam conditions, students sometimes use
the wrong halogen (i.e. use Cl2 when qns asks for
Br2)

10. Organic Chemistry
Writing Free Radical Mechanism
Error 4: Wrong halogen.
Under exam conditions, students sometimes use
the wrong halogen (i.e. use Cl2 when qns asks for
Br2)