Definitions

• aliphatic is a hydrocarbon that does not contain an aromatic ring
• alicyclic are hydrocarbons in a straight or branched chain
• aromatic is a hydrocarbon that has alternate double single bonds. Eg benzene
• a chiral carbon is a C atom with 4 different groups attached
• an electrophile can accept a pair of electrons
• a nucleophile can donate a lone pair of electrons
• an enantiomer is a non-superimpossible mirror image
• heterolytic fission is the breaking of a covalent bond where both electrons go to one of the atoms
• homolytic fission is breaking a covalent both where each electron goes to a different atom (eg they get half the electrons each)