Organic Chemistry LAB techniques

[Sicilian]

How important are these for the MCAT?

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[SharpieMarker]

I haven't done MCAT test-question analysis or anything, but I took a Princeton Review MCAT class, and I think the main things I learned were the values for major functional groups (carbonyls and hydroxyl groups mainly) for IR-spec and maybe H-NMR. I also learned about extractions and the concepts behind those.

Off the top of my head, those seemed to be the major things we learned, but I can't quite remember if I encountered them on the test. If I did, there weren't many questions on lab techniques on the test, if any at all.

 

[HunterGatherer]

definitely know:

memorize OH peaks and c=o peaks for IR

understand how to read NMR, coupling, and basic peacks like aromatic, methyl ketone,etc. NMR has been popping up on MCAT lately

understand solubility tests to determine functional groups and type of carbon compounds. This seems to be in every passage because you will need to determine the product, intermediate, or reactant or one of it's functional group based on the info given.

EK has a good review of all orgo lab techniques you need except for solubility tests.

if you want to be more thorough:
for the exam I had acid base extraction, various tests (permanganate test and all that jazz), purification, various chromotography, mass, NMR, IR, and UV spectroscopy down cold. Don't go overboard unless you have time since Orgo is usually a small portion of BS. Pay attention to the AAMC practice orgo because the exam was very similar for me.

I haven't done MCAT test-question analysis or anything, but I took a Princeton Review MCAT class, and I think the main things I learned were the values for major functional groups (carbonyls and hydroxyl groups mainly) for IR-spec and maybe H-NMR. I also learned about extractions and the concepts behind those.

Off the top of my head, those seemed to be the major things we learned, but I can't quite remember if I encountered them on the test. If I did, there weren't many questions on lab techniques on the test, if any at all.

 

[PRamos]

Last time, I had both some NMR questions on a massive structure (but it was easy) and an extraction passage. My first time I took it, I remember having distillation and something about separating enantiomers. Both exams had a good amount of lab techniques, certainly more than the other orgo stuff.

I would 100% recommend is the BR lab techniques section. I've read PR and EK materials as well, and tend to think that BR is much better for lab stuff (at least for chemistry). It explains everything in a simple to understand way. It also helped that the person who worte the book taught my class. I always hated lab, but the way he explained things made it very easy.