Problems Set - Meeting #6

General:

Since there were several inquiries about how to study for the final exam, here are a few pointers (from the instructor's point of view):

1. Make sure that you understand the procedures carried out in the lab well. This does not mean that you have to memorize the exact amounts added at some point, but why certain steps are performed and how they are performed correctly (see lecture and Survival Kit reader). If things are not clear to you, make sure to ask questions (TA, instructor, etc.) asap and not the day before the exam because this usually causes a lot of confusion.

2. The exams in the exam reader (the light green thing that you paid for when you bought in the package and have most likely not looked at up to this point) should give you a good idea about the subjects that you are expected to master by the end of this course. Use the exams as self-diagnostic and practice tool. However, memorizing the answers to the questions does not guarantee a higher grade in the final since there are always changes in the questions, which most students miss entirely.

3. One of the most important things is to write your own prelab and postlabs, and not just copy it from a friend/roommate/etc and include your own numbers. You are not learning anything this way and most likely will fail the exam miserably, which also means that you are automatically going to fail the course. This also means that you will have to repeat the entire course again including the in-lab part.

4. Finally, make sure that you take enough time aside to study for the final exam. A lot of the students that failed the exam in the past quarters just did not spent enough time to review the material and tried to "wing" the exam, not very successfully as mentioned earlier in the quarter already.

5. The instructor will not sign any late drops forms (dark red form) after week 7. Unexcused absense in the lab and/or the final exam will result in an automatic "F"-grade for the course.

Bottomline: If you do your own work and understand reasonably well what you are doing in the lab, you should not have any problems to get a passing (and decent) grade in the course. Please keep in mind that many of you are going on to take the MCAT, DAT, PSAT, GRE, etc. and some of the material covered in this course will show up there as well.

1. After reviewing the TLC chapter in the reader, take the online quiz

(http://bacher.chem.ucla.edu/TakeQuiz/?id=d3d9446802a44259755d38e6d163e820). The quiz is worth 10 points, and has to be taken until one hour prior to the in-lab meeting 6. (Hint: In some cases more than one answer is correct!) Even though you can take the quiz until one hour prior to meeting 6 of your section, you should not delay taking it since there might be some problems with the server. There seem to be problems with some MAC systems as well. After you submit the answers, your score should appear on your screen. If this does not happen, you will have to retake the quiz. (There will not be any possibility to retake the quiz weeks later!).

In order to take the quiz, you have to go through a UCLA ICP address. This means that you either have to use your Bruin-Online account or go through the VPN (Virtual Private Network, software can be found here: http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/vpn/) to have this UCLA ICP address. To log in, use your last name and your student ID. If you are experiencing problems, contact the instructor via email and include your full name (indicated which one is your last name), your student ID and section .

2. Theory of Diels-Alder Reactions

a. Which two major components have to present for a Diels-Alder reaction to occur?

b. Diels-Alder reactions are considered stereospecific. What does this mean?

c. In which way do donor groups in the dienophile influence the Diels-Alder reaction?

d. The reaction of cyclopentadiene with maleic anhydride is fairly exothermic. Rationalize this observation.

3. Referring to the reaction carried out in the lab, answer the following questions.

a. How is benzyne obtained in the reaction? Show a balanced chemical equation. What is its function?

b. Why is it important the that the TPCP is present in the reaction in a.?

c. 1,2-Dimethoxyethane is used as solvent in the reaction. Rationalize the choice.

d. The reaction is carried out in a 10 mL round-bottomed flask.Why?

e. Which observations should the student make during the course of the reaction?

f. Why is it necessary to use a solvent mixture instead of a single solvent when precipitating the crude?

g. The product exhibits a double melting point. What does this mean and how can this phenomenon be explained?

h. What is the proper concentration of the solution being used for UV-Vis? Which information does the student require to obtain this information?