Recent content by MSchem

Good point. Not to mention that many interesting problems in physical chemistry are motivated by ongoing problems in organic and biochemistry! With no organic background, one may not recognize a good result from physical chemistry when looking right at it.

You speak truth. To the OP: Memorization is a one way street to failure in organic chemistry. Yes some things must be memorized but the idea is to able to work reactions out from first principles and knowledge of general reactivity trends. The only way to master organic synthesis is...

As you go down the halogen group the average distance of the outer p-electrons increases and so does the screening of the nuclear charge. As a result the affinity for gaining another electron is decreased.