E. E. Just Award lecture

Exponential functions with base e are essential for modeling continuous processes of growth and decay. The constant e, approximately 2.718, naturally arises in systems where change occurs proportionally to the current value. A positive exponent represents continuous growth, while a negative exponent represents continuous decay. These functions are especially useful for describing situations where change happens smoothly over time rather than in discrete steps.One clear example of exponential...

Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...

Elimination reactions of alkyl halides can yield one or more alkenes depending on the specific regiochemical and stereochemical considerations. While the regiochemistry of the reaction governs the location of the double bond in the product, the stereochemical requirements often influence the geometry.
When a substrate with two different β hydrogens undergoes an E2 elimination, the presence of a strong base can yield two regioisomeric alkenes. The more-substituted alkene is the major...

One of the critical aspects of the E1 reaction mechanism, as also observed in E2, is the regiochemistry, with multiple regioisomers obtained as products. In the example discussed, the presence of water as a weak base favors elimination over substitution to generate two alkenes. Given that alkenes’ stability increases with the number of alkyl groups across the double bond, typically, E1 reactions lead to the Zaitsev product, for this is more substituted and stable than the Hofmann product.

Elastic potential energy is the energy stored as a result of the deformation of an elastic object, such as the stretching of a spring. An object is elastic if it returns to its original shape and size after being deformed. 
Potential energy is also associated with the elastic force exerted by an ideal spring. The work done by this force can be represented as a change in the elastic potential energy of the spring. Thus, the work done by a perfectly elastic spring, in one dimension, depends...

SN2 substitutions and E2 eliminations of alkyl halides proceed via a concerted pathway. While the nucleophile attacks the alpha carbon in SN2 reactions, it functions as a strong base and abstracts a beta hydrogen in the E2 mechanism. The rate-limiting transition state in E2 elimination reactions is characterized by partially broken carbon–hydrogen and carbon–halogen bonds and a partially formed pi bond between the alpha and beta carbons. The beta hydrogen and halide are eliminated...