General Organic Chemistry II (with Virtual Laboratory)

CHEM 285/3.0

Overview

A continuation from CHEM 281/3.0 intended for students in biological sciences, and other plans taking no further courses in organic chemistry. Organic molecules and their reactions; relevance to biological systems. Illustrations using biomolecules such as carbohydrates, amino acids and proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The virtual laboratory provides knowledge of elementary organic syntheses.

Learning Outcomes

  • Write names of molecules from structures and vice versa. Identify and name functional groups 

  • Identify reactive sites on reagents (nucleophiles, electrophiles, acids, bases, leaving groups) 

  • Identify stereochemistry of molecules in terms of nomenclature and class of compound 

  • Predict and justify the impact of solvent and electronic effects on reactivity 

  • Predict reaction outcomes in the context of substitution and elimination reactions  

  • Add to the reactions from CHEM281 for functional group interconversions 

  • Combine functional group interconversions in more complex molecules 

  • Learn protecting group chemistry and apply to multi-step syntheses 

  • Use NMR, mass spec, and IR data to determine structures of simple compounds 

  • Explore basic experimental techniques through Labster and other lab simulations 

Textbook sections covered

Unit 1Chapter 13 - Conjugated Unsaturated Systems
Unit 2Chapter 14 - Aromatic Compounds
Unit 3Chapter 15 - Reactions of Aromatic Compounds
Unit 4Chapter 12 - Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds
Unit 5Chapter 10 - Radical Reactions
Unit 6Chapter 16 - Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition to the Carbonyl Group
Unit 7Chapter 17 - Aldehydes and Ketones II: Enols and Enolates
Unit 8Chapter 18 - Carboxylic Acids and their Derivatives
Unit 9Chapter 19 - Synthesis and Reactions of Beta Dicarbonyl Compounds
Unit 10Chapter 20 - Amines
Unit 11Chapter 20 - Carbohydrates
Unit 12Chapter 23 - Lipids
Unit 13Chapter 24 - Amino Acids and Proteins

Terms

Summer (July–August) 2025
Course Dates
Exam Dates (if applicable)
Delivery Mode
Online

Evaluation

20% - WileyPLUS 
20% - Virtual Labs
20% - Midterm Exam 
40% - Proctored Final Exam

Students require a 50% overall to pass the course totalled from all course components and must attempt all assessments of significant course weighting.

** Evaluation Subject to Change **

Live Sessions

This course has optional live sessions (e.g. webinars, synchronous activities).

Web-based Tutorials

Regular, interactive, recorded web-based tutorials (with screen sharing and virtual whiteboard) will be held between student groups and tutors/instructor to keep students to milestone syllabus achievements. The tutorials will be both topic-based and free-form in order for questions to be asked and solved. Tutorials will be held every week.

Virtual Office Hours and onQ Discussion Forum

Virtual office hours (recorded) with the instructor/TAs will be available at least once a week using web-based video chat functionality. The onQ discussion forum will be available every day. A response to questions posted in the onQ discussion forum is guaranteed within 24 hours.

Proctored Exams  
Exam Centre Location, Eligibility, and Fees  

Students enrolled exclusively in online courses may choose one of two options to write this course’s proctored assessments:  

  1. You may choose to write the assessments online under supervision of Examity proctoring services. A $100 fee will be charged to your SOLUS account. This fee is known as the Off Campus Exam Admin Fee and is applied in SOLUS at the earlier of: term tuition posting date, or the date at which exam writing method is changed to online. The fee is assessed once per ASO course with proctored assessments.  
  2. You may choose to write the assessments in-person on Queen’s campus in Kingston at no additional charge.  

Students enrolled in at least one on-campus course are expected to write this course’s proctored assessments on-campus during the scheduled exam time. They will not be permitted to write this course’s proctored assessments online.

Students were prompted to indicate their preferred exam writing method when enrolling in the course in SOLUS. The exam writing method may be changed by contacting the ASO Exams Team at aso.exams@queensu.ca.  

Information for students writing online assessments using Examity

Selected assessments in this course will be administered in onQ using online proctoring provided by Examity, a third-party, cloud-based service. This proctoring solution was chosen to support our efforts in maintaining academic integrity when online proctoring is required. Queen’s has conducted an extensive privacy and security review of Examity and has entered into a binding agreement with terms that address the appropriate collection, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with Ontario’s privacy legislation. To learn more about online proctoring, please see the information provided by the Office of the University Registrar.  

If you registered to write online with Examity, all information pertaining to the technical requirements and preparation for writing online will be posted in onQ well in advance of your exam. 

The use of Examity as described is unique to courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science Online. Other Faculties use online proctoring solutions in different ways under different regulations. Students should  contact the appropriate Faculty examination team if they have questions.  

Timing of Final Examinations  

The exam period dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under "Important Dates". Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted to SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should not make any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. Students experiencing extenuating circumstances preventing them from writing their exams as scheduled should review the information about the Academic Consideration process

Textbook and Materials

Software

  • CHEM 282 Virtual Lab and Guide (provided)

ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.

Textbook Package

Contains:

  • Organic Chemistry, Solomons and Fryhle, 13th ed. (Wiley)
  • OrganicView CD
  • Accompanying Study Guide and Solutions Manual Molecular Models
  • WileyPLUS online code to access digital textbook (may be purchased as part of textbook package or separately)

The following materials are available in the Queen's onQ online course site:

Lab/Tutorials

  • An electronic virtual lab guide will be provided

Course Guide

The Course Guide contains the overall directions and lecture notes needed to complete the course. It is available online in the onQ virtual learning environment. Beginning the first day of term, students registered in the course will be able to access course materials in a format suitable for online reading or printing.

Recommended Materials

  • Organic Laboratory Techniques, Fessenden, Fessenden and Feist, 3rd ed. (Brooks/Cole)
  • Organic Chemistry I as a Second Language: Translating the Basic Concepts, David R. Klein.
    • Wiley E-Text
      • Organic Chemistry I As a Second Language: First Semester Topics, 3rd Edition 
        ISBN : 978-1-118-20377-4, 400 pages, August 2011, ©2012, CDN $31.00   BUY
    • Paperback
      • Organic Chemistry I As a Second Language: First Semester Topics, 3rd Edition
        ISBN : 978-1-118-01040-2, 400 pages, June 2011, ©2012, CDN $55.95   BUY

Time Commitment

Students can expect to spend approximately 16.5 - 18 hours a week (108 hours total) in study/practice and online activity for this course. 

Additional Information

NOTE: Life Sciences Honours students should not enrol in this course.