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60 exam-style questions with model answers, plus 80 quick multi-choice questions — every question on the site for this standard, grouped by the 20 pages of notes they come from.
Write a full answer before you reveal the model one — that comparison is where the marks come from. Every block links back to the notes that teach it.
Name the family and state the functional group present in CH3CH2COOH.
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) and ethanoic acid (CH3COOH) both contain an –OH group, but they belong to different families. Explain the difference in their structures and why it matters.
A compound with molecular formula C3H6O2 fizzes when solid sodium carbonate is added to it. A second compound, also C3H6O, decolourises bromine water. Identify the family of each compound, justify your choice using the observation, and give a possible structure for each.
State the general formula of an alkene and use it to give the molecular formula of heptene.
Explain why an alkene with n carbon atoms has two fewer hydrogen atoms than the alkane with the same number of carbons.
Two hydrocarbons X and Y each contain five carbon atoms. X does not react with bromine water; Y decolourises it. Compare the two compounds in terms of their bonding, molecular formulae and reactivity, and explain fully why they behave differently.
Give the molecular formula of the compound with condensed formula CH3CH2CH2OH.
Explain why the molecular formula C3H8O is not enough to identify a single compound, and use structural formulae to support your answer.
A student draws a structure for 2-methylbutan-2-ol in which the carbon carrying the –OH group has bonds to two CH3 groups, one CH2CH3 group, the –OH group and one hydrogen atom. Evaluate the student's structure, explain the error, and give the correct structural formula.
Give the IUPAC name of CH3CH2CH2CH2OH.
Give the IUPAC name of CH3CHBrCH2CH3 and explain how you chose the numbering.
A student names the compound (CH3)2CHCH2CH2OH as '2-methylbutan-4-ol'. Identify every error in this name, justify each correction, and give the correct IUPAC name.
Classify CH3CH(OH)CH3 as a primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol, and explain how you decided.
Explain why 2-methylpropan-2-ol cannot be oxidised, referring to its structure.
Three separate bottles contain butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol and 2-methylpropan-2-ol, all with the formula C4H10O. Describe how acidified permanganate could be used to distinguish all three, and justify your answer by referring to the classification and products of each.
Define the term 'constitutional isomers' and state the molecular formula shared by butane and 2-methylpropane.
Propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol are constitutional isomers. Explain what makes them isomers and why they give different products when oxidised.
A student claims there are five constitutional isomers of C5H12. Evaluate this claim, giving the correct number, the name of each isomer, and an explanation of the error the student is most likely to have made.
State the two conditions a molecule must meet to show geometric (cis/trans) isomerism.
Explain why cis- and trans-but-2-ene are able to exist as two separate compounds.
There are three alkenes with the molecular formula C4H8 that have an unbranched or branched chain. Identify them, determine which show geometric isomerism, and explain why the others do not. State the total number of distinct compounds with this formula.
State how the boiling point of an alkane changes as the number of carbon atoms in the chain increases.
State and explain how the boiling point and water solubility of propan-1-ol compare with those of octan-1-ol.
Compare the water solubility of ethane, ethanol and ethanoic acid, and explain the pattern in terms of chain length and functional group. Then explain why butane and propan-1-ol have similar molar masses but very different boiling points.
Write a balanced equation for the complete combustion of propane, C3H8.
Methane and chlorine are mixed. Explain what happens, giving the conditions, an equation and the type of reaction.
A student has two unlabelled bottles, one containing hexane and one containing hex-1-ene. Both are colourless liquids. Explain in detail how bromine could be used to distinguish them, including what is observed, the type of reaction in each case, and why the conditions matter.
Name the product and the reaction type when ethene reacts with hydrogen over a platinum catalyst.
Write an equation for the reaction of ethene with bromine and explain why it is classified as an addition reaction.
Ethanol can be made industrially from ethene. Describe the reaction, give the equation and conditions, and compare this route with making bromoethane from the same starting material — explaining what the two reactions have in common and how their products differ in family and reactivity.
Describe the colour change seen when bromine water is added to an alkene, and state what this shows.
Explain why an alkene decolourises bromine water but an alkane does not.
A student tests an unknown hydrocarbon with bromine water in bright sunlight and reports that it slowly turned colourless over several minutes, concluding the compound is an alkene. Evaluate this conclusion and describe how the experiment should be improved.
State Markovnikov's rule.
Propene reacts with HBr. Give the structural formulae and names of both products, and identify which is the major product.
A chemist wants to prepare propan-1-amine from propene in two steps. Identify the two reactions, explain which product of the first step is needed and whether it is the major or minor product, and comment on what this means for the yield.
State the colour change when acidified permanganate is added to an alkene, and name the type of product formed.
Ethene is shaken with cold dilute acidified permanganate. Give the equation, name the product, and explain why this can be used as a test for unsaturation.
Compare the reaction of propene with bromine water and with cold dilute acidified permanganate. For each, give the product, the observation and the reaction type, and explain why neither reaction produces a major and a minor product even though propene is asymmetric.
Name the polymer formed from ethene and state the type of polymerisation.
Draw the repeat unit of poly(propene) and explain why the reaction is described as addition polymerisation.
A section of a polymer chain is drawn as –CH2–CHCl–CH2–CHCl–CH2–CHCl–. Deduce the repeat unit and the monomer, name both the monomer and the polymer, and explain how you can tell this polymer was made by addition rather than by any process in which a small molecule is lost.
Name the product and state the colour change when ethanol is warmed with acidified permanganate.
Explain why butan-1-ol is oxidised by acidified dichromate but 2-methylpropan-2-ol is not. Include the colour changes.
Three bottles contain butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol and 2-methylpropan-2-ol. Devise a series of tests that would identify all three, giving observations and justifying each step from the structures involved.
Name a reagent that converts ethanol into chloroethane, and name the reaction type.
Write an equation for the reaction of propan-1-ol with HBr, name the product, and explain why the reaction is classed as a substitution.
A student needs to prepare 1-iodobutane from butan-1-ol and proposes using PCl3 followed by adding potassium iodide. Evaluate this proposal, explain why it will not give the required product, and describe a better route.
Give the reagent and the organic product when bromoethane reacts with aqueous potassium hydroxide.
Write an equation for the reaction of 1-bromopropane with ammonia, name the product and explain why this reaction is important in organic synthesis.
2-bromopropane is treated with potassium hydroxide. Explain how the choice of solvent completely changes the outcome, giving both products, both reaction types and equations, and explain why a chemist must always specify the conditions.
State the conditions needed to convert ethanol into ethene, and name the type of reaction.
Ethanol can be converted to ethene. Give the equation and conditions, and explain what is removed and what forms in its place.
Pentan-2-ol is heated with concentrated sulfuric acid. Identify all the alkenes that could form, name them, state which is the major product with justification, and explain how the number of geometric isomers affects the total number of distinct products.
State what is observed when solid sodium carbonate is added to ethanoic acid, and name the gas produced.
Explain, with an equation, why methylamine (CH3NH2) reacts with hydrochloric acid.
Ethanol, ethanoic acid and ethanamine are three colourless liquids of similar size. Describe how simple tests could distinguish all three, and explain the results in terms of the functional group present in each.
State the reagent and conditions needed to convert bromoethane into ethanol, and name the reaction type.
Show how ethene can be converted into ethanoic acid, giving the reagents, conditions and reaction type for each step.
A chemist has a supply of but-1-ene and needs to prepare butan-1-amine. Devise a route, giving reagents, conditions and reaction types, and evaluate the route by discussing product selectivity and overall yield. Suggest one improvement.