A chemical reaction mechanism represents that path that atoms will follow in the molecular process whereby reactant molecules are transformed into product molecules.

In developing this course, we began by enumerating functional groups. One could just as easily begin with notions about mechanisms. Neither approach is complete without the other. Mechanisms help chemists understand transformations. They also serve to inspire new approaches and the discovery of new mechanisms.

A really fundamental description of mechanisms includes molecular orbital theory.

A list of reaction mechanisms is available [local].

In order to represent reaction mechanisms, it is necessary to draw resonance structures.

There are systematic approaches to describing reaction mechanisms [local].