/sci/ - Science & Math

Chemistry Questions
inb4 homework help, ect.

I'll start this off saying that i'd like to get to know more about chemistry and how compounds and molecules are synthesized.

My first couple of questions are, how possible is it to start with something like a carbon ring from any sort of molecule and do reactions to change the rest of to a completely other molecule?

Also, are there only a certain number of ways to come to a final molecule you desire, or can it be made from any sort of starting branch of another molecule with a bunch of reactions to remove chains and other bonds? For example, could you make a caffeine molecule from something completely different with numerous reactions?

I don't know if my terminology is correct at all, but I hope it gets the point off.

Pic just stolen from jewgle.