Chemistry Songs

Project Overview

These songs were written and performed by students in Dr. Otto Phanstiel's Organic Chemistry I and II Classes, starting in 1999, and still singing.

"Markovnikov Addition"

Noelle Clayton, Brent Dell

Song: "Happy Days Theme Song "

Artist: Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox

Hydrogen bromide, Markovnikov
Hydrogen Chloride, Markovnikov,
Hydrogen Iodide, Markovnikov
The electrophile
Is added to make
The most stable cation

Markovnikov
Adds H-Br (to Alkenes)
Markovnikov
Adds halogens (to carbons)
The bond swings out, grabs a proton
Leaves a stable carbocation
Halide attacks, bonds to C
Markovnikov is what it'll be

Hydrogen Bromide with Peroxides
Hydrogen bromide with Peroxides
Hydrogen bromide with peroxides
Anti Markovnikov
Needs radical formation

First a peroxide
Needs to break (to steal an H)
Then the Bromide has to stick
To the small C (It's one degree)
Then carbon radical grabs an H
And we've anti-markovnikov!