Reaction Mechanisms
AQA A-Level Chemistry
3.3.1
Organic reactions involve bonds being broken and formed as electrons move between atoms and molecules, providing a way to explain what happens during a reaction rather than simply describing its overall change. Building on our understanding of chemical structures and functional groups, we can now explore reaction mechanisms and use curly arrows to represent the movement of electrons. This provides a foundation for understanding the mechanisms of the organic reactions encountered throughout the course.
In this topic you will:
- Know that reactions of organic compounds can be explained using reaction mechanisms.
- Describe what curly arrows represent in reaction mechanisms.
- Understand that curly arrows can be used to represent bond breaking and bond making.
- Identify where curly arrows should start and end in a reaction mechanism.
Learn, Revise, Practise
Whether you’re learning this topic for the first time or revising before an exam, the Learn, Revise, Practise Method helps you study in the right way at the right time.
If you’re studying this topic for the first time, or you’re struggling to understand it, start with Learn. Once you’ve built that understanding, move on to Revise to strengthen your memory, before finishing with Practise to apply your knowledge to exam-style questions.
Learn
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Watch the lesson and complete the Learn Pack as you go to develop a secure understanding of the topic.
Revise
Strengthen memory
Use active recall to check what you can remember, identify gaps and reinforce your understanding.
Practise
Apply knowledge
Work through exam-style questions and develop the confidence and technique needed for success.
Learn
Build Understanding
Start by building a secure understanding of the topic’s content. Download the Learn Pack and complete the guided activities alongside the video. This will help build your understanding and give you a comprehensive set of notes to refer back to. Once you’ve finished the video, use the questions in the pack to check your understanding. Finally, use the answers to review your work and correct any misunderstandings before moving on to the Revise phase.