Organic chemistry

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Sample objectives

What this unit covers

• Introduction to organic chemistry: Use IUPAC rules to name organic compounds in the specification.
• Introduction to organic chemistry: Distinguish homologous series from functional groups.
• Introduction to organic chemistry: Identify structural isomers.
• Introduction to organic chemistry: Define nucleophile, electrophile and free radical.
• Alkanes: Relate fraction properties to chain length and intermolecular forces.
• Alkanes: Explain why cracking is used to make more useful hydrocarbons.
• Alkanes: Write equations for complete combustion of alkanes.
• Alkanes: Explain how sulfur dioxide can be removed from flue gases.
• Alkanes: Explain initiation, propagation and termination steps in free-radical substitution.
• Alkanes: Write equations for methane chlorination steps.
• Halogenoalkanes: Outline nucleophilic substitution mechanisms with OH-, CN- and NH3.
• Halogenoalkanes: Explain how carbon-halogen bond enthalpy affects reaction rate.
• Halogenoalkanes: Compare substitution and elimination conditions.
• Halogenoalkanes: Outline elimination mechanisms for halogenoalkanes.
• Halogenoalkanes: Explain why ozone in the upper atmosphere is beneficial.
• Halogenoalkanes: Use equations to show chlorine radical catalysis of ozone decomposition.
• Alkenes: Identify monomers from addition polymer repeat units.
• Alkenes: Draw repeat units from alkene monomers.
• Alkenes: Describe alkenes as unsaturated hydrocarbons.
• Alkenes: Explain why the C=C bond is attacked by electrophiles.
• Alkenes: Predict major products from addition to unsymmetrical alkenes.
• Alkenes: Outline electrophilic addition to alkenes with hydrogen bromide.
• Alcohols: Describe oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols.
• Alcohols: Explain elimination of water from alcohols to form alkenes.
• Organic analysis: Interpret the fingerprint region by comparison with reference spectra.
• Organic analysis: Explain how infrared spectroscopy can monitor gases such as CO2, CH4 and H2O.
• Organic analysis: Interpret mass spectra to identify molecular ion peaks.
• Organic analysis: Required practical: tests for alcohol, aldehyde, alkene and carboxylic acid.
• Optical isomerism (A-level only): Explain why optical isomers rotate plane-polarised light in opposite directions.
• Optical isomerism (A-level only): Identify chiral carbon atoms in organic molecules.
• Aldehydes and ketones (A-level only): Use Tollens' and Fehling's reagents to distinguish aldehydes from ketones.
• Aldehydes and ketones (A-level only): Name and represent aldehydes and ketones.
• Carboxylic acids and derivatives (A-level only): Explain reactions of acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides.
• Carboxylic acids and derivatives (A-level only): Explain acidic behaviour of carboxylic acids.
• Aromatic chemistry (A-level only): Outline electrophilic substitution mechanisms.
• Aromatic chemistry (A-level only): Explain the bonding model for benzene using delocalised electrons.
• Amines (A-level only): Compare basicity of amines and ammonia.
• Amines (A-level only): Name and classify amines.
• Polymers (A-level only): Explain hydrolysis of condensation polymers.
• Polymers (A-level only): Draw repeating units and monomers for polyesters and polyamides.
• Amino acids, proteins and DNA (A-level only): Describe amino acids as molecules containing amine and carboxylic acid groups.
• Amino acids, proteins and DNA (A-level only): Draw peptide bonds and explain condensation.
• Amino acids, proteins and DNA (A-level only): Describe the components of DNA nucleotides.
• Amino acids, proteins and DNA (A-level only): Explain complementary base pairing using hydrogen bonds.
• Organic synthesis (A-level only): Plan synthetic routes between organic compounds in the specification.
• Organic synthesis (A-level only): Evaluate alternative synthetic routes.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (A-level only): Use carbon-13 NMR spectra to identify carbon environments.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (A-level only): Use NMR evidence with other analytical data to determine structures.
• Chromatography (A-level only): Explain separation using stationary and mobile phases.
• Chromatography (A-level only): Use chromatography evidence with spectroscopic data in analysis.