The Molecules of Life, Nature, and Industry

This introductory course teaches students the fundamentals of organic chemistry through its applications in our everyday lives, exploring topics ranging from materials, energy, and the environment to the human biome, medicine, disease, and the ways molecules influence how we think and feel. Students learn to relate the three-dimensional structure of organic molecules to their chemical and physical properties; to identify functional groups exhibiting patterns of reactivity; to predict products of a reaction in the context of thermodynamics and kinetics; and to hypothesize how molecules will react in different environmental contexts. They learn how to think like scientists and be effective problem solvers—skills that are transferable to any future field of study. The course culminates in a final project presentation on a topic of a student's choice.