Orgo reactions

[Shjfr]

Should we know all the reactions by name, or just know what they do and now worry about what they are called? Example: would there be a test question that says "What would be the products if a jones reagent were to be used on ethanol," or "What would be the expected products of the Gabriel synthesis." I know what all these things do if I see the reaction, I just don't know them by name...

Also, is nomenclature huge on the exam? Like if you are sloppy at it will you miss about every question because you don't know what structures they are talking about? Or do they give the structures most of the time (Kaplan blue book uses mostly structures on their exams...).

Thanks.

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[harrygt]

Should we know all the reactions by name, or just know what they do and now worry about what they are called? Example: would there be a test question that says "What would be the products if a jones reagent were to be used on ethanol," or "What would be the expected products of the Gabriel synthesis." I know what all these things do if I see the reaction, I just don't know them by name...

Also, is nomenclature huge on the exam? Like if you are sloppy at it will you miss about every question because you don't know what structures they are talking about? Or do they give the structures most of the time (Kaplan blue book uses mostly structures on their exams...).

Thanks.

Dude, if you are good at the reactions, why not learn the names to secure yourself? There are not too many names [I would say at most about 20]. I would learn them, and in fact I have.
I have no idea about the second question.

 

[Epictetus21]

Every time that I have seen a question where they name a reaction specifically, they also provide the reagents. That's not to say they couldn't just give you a name, but I think it's unlikely. I don't remember ever having to derive the reagents in practice tests or on the actual DAT. Where you might run into some name interpretation would be with the various organic tests (Tollins, Benedicts, etc.) They might ask you for reagents there, or what the test is testing for. Although, I agree with harrygt, there are so few named reactions that are within the scope of the DAT, that it would be useful to just be familiar with them anyway. Especially biggies like the Wittig, Hoffman Rearrangement, Claisen Condensation, Diels Alder, and Aldol Condensation.

Nomenclature does, and probably will, show up on the DAT. It's important to have the basics down. Since it's multiple choice, you don't have to have it down cold, but you should be able to accurately count the longest carbon chain, recognize functional groups and put them in the right order, and be able to tell the difference between cis and trans and E and Z.