[BetaAmyloid]

I have been reading numerous posts (of which I have no idea what is going on) and I was wondering how some of you guys know multiple factors of chemical reactions - how do you know what is going to take place, what reacts, what spectates, what produces?

I know the easy reactions, such as single replacement, metathesis, decomposition, acid-base, redox, combustion, etc. but what about something such as:



or, what if something has an r group, how do you theorize what is going to produce in the reaction with a variable in the equation?



and, like in the first equation, how would you know what to add to make the reacton perform, such as the NaOC₂H_5?

[BetaAmyloid]

Actually, that is a bad example - sorry, but I believe you get my point.

[Arctic-Nation]

There's only one answer: years of study. All of us started from scratch, and only by devoting countless hours of our lives we became able to understand, to rationalize and to predict the course of reactions.

And years of study is only possible if you really love what you do and really want to be what you're going to become. All the books you have, all the knowledge you can gather, you do not study because you have to, but because you want to. You have to reach the point where learning new things becomes relaxing, where you open your books out of pure curiosity.

Well, that, and beer and girls in moderation, and sometimes in excess. It helps to expand the mind.

[BetaAmyloid]

There's only one answer: years of study. All of us started from scratch, and only by devoting countless hours of our lives we became able to understand, to rationalize and to predict the course of reactions.

Right - but to see that I am 17 without much study, I kind of need to know what to study. Any directions anyone could point me in the studying of outcomes of reactions (and the other things I listed in the first message)? Also, I don't really have the capability to mix A with B and then calculate the product, since I don't have money to purchase pricy equipment, so I for now I have to stick with theory.

[Borek]

I kind of need to know what to study.

Chemistry, exactly the way it should be studied. That means courses that lead to chemistry major. After that you shall know enough to decide by yourself what to do next.

[BetaAmyloid]

I kind of need to know what to study.

Chemistry, exactly the way it should be studied. That means courses that lead to chemistry major. After that you shall know enough to decide by yourself what to do next.

This isn't a life career question, and I was wondering if there were specific books, sites, etc. that could give me information on understanding chemical reactions instead of waiting through 10-20 courses through undergraduate/graduate school.

[Borek]

This isn't a life career question, and I was wondering if there were specific books, sites, etc. that could give me information on understanding chemical reactions instead of waiting through 10-20 courses through undergraduate/graduate school.

No, these courses are there to give you all the information you need. There are no shortcuts.

[BetaAmyloid]

No, these courses are there to give you all the information you need. There are no shortcuts.

Sigh

Okay, let me use your terminology. I'm not looking for a shortcut. I'm looking for a course that I can study on my own. I was just wondering if there was a book that isn't a straight up chemistry book that focused on reactions. A book such as The Cell, which focuses on the cell and all of its components.

I guess if you aren't understanding my question, just ignore it.

[Arctic-Nation]

McMurry's Organic Chemistry is a good book to start with, if you already have a basic knowledge of chemistry.

[BetaAmyloid]

McMurry's Organic Chemistry is a good book to start with, if you already have a basic knowledge of chemistry.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into it.

[Scatter]

I admire your desire to be autodidactic!  In chemistry, it seems to me to be easier if there's active learning in a classroom setting to facilitate what you've been learning on your own...even if it's just reviewing what you've read.  So you can get ahead as much as you want, but full comprehension takes other knowledgeable people to really grasp how a lot of the concepts actually work in nature.  Do you on this stuff in a group at all?  Just curious.

[BetaAmyloid]

I admire your desire to be autodidactic!  In chemistry, it seems to me to be easier if there's active learning in a classroom setting to facilitate what you've been learning on your own...even if it's just reviewing what you've read.  So you can get ahead as much as you want, but full comprehension takes other knowledgeable people to really grasp how a lot of the concepts actually work in nature.  Do you on this stuff in a group at all?  Just curious.

Yes - but I also like to go ahead and read on my own, since I am 17, and many 17-year-olds aren't looking at venn diagrams and molecular formulas for the cell's numerous parts.