Remembering How We Do It Mechanisms

JwJm echanisms are the key to organic chemistry. Understanding the r mechanism allows organic chemists to control the reaction and to avoid unwanted side reactions. Understanding the mechanism many times allows chemists to increase the yield of product. 

In this chapter you review the basics of mechanisms and their conventions and look at some of the more common ways that electrons shift during a reaction. You also see how these individual steps can fit together in the overall reaction mechanism and apply some of these techniques in free-radical mechanisms. 

Many types of cirrows cire used in organic chemistry, and each of them conveys information about the particular reaction. These arrows include the resonance arrow, equilibrium arrow, reaction arrow, double-headed arrow, and singleheaded cirrow. 

Mechanisms, like resonance structures, utilize curved arrows. (Resonance structures are ways of illustrating the Vcirious resonance forms that contribute to the resonance hybrid. If you need more review, refer to Organic Chemistry I For Dummies. ) Many of the same rules apply to both however, there are some important differences  

In resonance, the electrons don t actually move, whereas in mechanisms there is an actual movement of electrons. 

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