For questions about how organic molecules and reactions are investigated using physical experiments.
Tag scope
This tag should be used for questions about the physical techniques by which organic molecules and reactions are studied, and the concepts that underpin them.
Please do not use this tag for questions about concepts in general organic chemistry. As an example, although conformational analysis is typically covered in physical organic chemistry courses and the populations of conformers may be studied using physical organic chemistry techniques (e.g. NMR), a question solely about predicting a major conformer should not be tagged with physical-organic-chemistry. However, a question about how to measure the ratio may be tagged with it.
The tag may also be used for questions about concepts that are specific to physical organic chemistry. These include, for example, kinetic isotope effects and linear free energy relationships.
Basic definitions
Quoting from Wikipedia:
Physical organic chemistry, a term coined by Louis Hammett in 1940, refers to a discipline of organic chemistry that focuses on the relationship between chemical structures and reactivity, in particular, applying experimental tools of physical chemistry to the study of organic molecules.
Further reading
Anslyn, E. V.; Dougherty, D. A. Modern Physical Organic Chemistry; University Science Books: Sausalito, CA, 2006.
