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A Level Chemistry > Organic Chemistry I > Flashcards

Organic Chemistry I Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a hydrocarbon?

A

A compound containing carbon and hydrogen only.

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2
Q

What is a saturated hydrocarbon?

A

A hydrocarbon with single bonds only.

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3
Q

What is an unsaturated hydrocarbon?

A

A hydrocarbon with double carbon bonds.

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4
Q

What is a homologous series?

A

A family of compounds with similar chemical properties whose successive members differ by the addition of a CH2 group.

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5
Q

What is a functional group?

A

A part of the organic molecule that is largely responsible for the molecule’s chemical properties.

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6
Q

What are the three ways of classifying hydrocarbons?

A

Aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic.

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7
Q

What does aliphatic mean?

A

Carbon atoms are joined to each other in unbranched (straight) or branched chains, or non-aromatic rings.

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8
Q

What does alicyclic mean?

A

Carbon atoms are joined to each other in ring structures, with or without branches.

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9
Q

What does aromatic mean?

A

Some or all of the carbon atoms are found in a benzene ring.

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10
Q

What are the types of bond fission?

A

Heterolytic or homolytic

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11
Q

What is homolytic fission?

A

When each of the bonded atoms takes one of the shared pair of electrons from the bond.

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12
Q

What is heterolytic fission?

A

When one of the bonded atoms takes both of the electrons from the bond.

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13
Q

In an addition reaction, two reactants join together to…

A

form one product.

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14
Q

In a substitution reaction two reactants join together to…

A

form two products.

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15
Q

What is the general formula of an alkane?

A

CnH2n+2

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16
Q

Why does the boiling point of alkanes increase as the carbon chains get longer?

A

The boiling point increases because London forces act between molecules and as the chain length increases, the molecules have a larger surface area so more surface contact is possible between molecules and the London forces will be greater so more energy is required to overcome them.

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17
Q

What effect does branching have on boiling point?

A

There are fewer surface points of contact between molecules of the branched alkanes giving fewer London forces. The branches get in the way and prevent branched molecules getting as close as straight chain molecules, decreasing the London forces, meaning energy is overcome easier and the boiling point would be lower with more branching.

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18
Q

Why do alkanes have a lack of reactivity?

A

The sigma bonds between C-C and C-H are strong.
C-C bonds are non-polar

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19
Q

What is the functional group of an alcohol?

A

–OH

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20
Q

What is the functional group of a carboxylic acid?

A

–COOH

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21
Q

What is the functional group of an ester?

A

-COOC-

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22
Q

What is a toxic product produced by the incomplete combustion of alkanes?

A

Carbon Monoxide

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23
Q

Why is Carbon Monoxide so dangerous?

A

It combines with haemoglobin in red blood cells to form carboxyhaemoglobin which prevents the haemoglobin from transporting oxygen around the body.

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24
Q

What do alkanes need in order to react with halogens?

A

UV light (sunlight)

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25
Why do alkanes and halogens need sunlight in order to react?
The UV radiation provides the initial energy for the reaction to take place.
26
What are the stages of free radical subsititution?
Initiation Propagation Termination
27
What happens in the initiation stage of free radical substitution of a halogen?
The covalent bond is broken by homolytic fission, forming two highly reactive halogen radicals.
28
What is required for initiation?
UV radiation
29
What happens in the propagation stage?
The reactants are all used up. Propagation is terminated whenever two radicals collide.
30
What happens in the termination stage?
Two radicals collide, forming a molecule with all electrons paired. There are a number of possible termination steps with different radicals in the reaction mixture.
31
What is the general formula of alkenes?
CnH2n
32
What is the functional group of alkenes?
C=C
33
Is an alkene saturated or unsaturated?
Unsaturated
34
Is an alkane saturated or unsaturated?
Saturated
35
What type of alkenes are an exception to the general formula?
Cyclic alkenes and alkenes with more than one double bond.
36
What is a double bond called?
A Pi bond
37
What is a stereoisomer?
Stereoisomers have the same structural formula but have a different arrangement of the atoms in space.
38
E/Z isomerism can only occur in compounds with...
a C=C double bond
39
In a Z isomer, the high priority atoms are on the...
Same Side (zame zide)
40
In an E isomer the higher priority atoms are...
diagonally opposite eachother.
41
Why are alkenes more reactive than alkanes?
Because of the presence of the Pi bond.
42
What is the hydrogenation of alkenes?
The formation of an alkane from the addition of hydrogen across a double bond with use of a catalyst.
43
What catalyst is used for hydrogenation of alkenes and at what temperature?
Nickel 432K
44
What is halogenation of alkanes?
Adding a halogen to an alkene across the double bond to form a haloalkene.
45
What temperature do alkenes undergo halogenation?
Room temperature
46
What can the reaction of alkenes with bromine be used to identify?
Testing for unsaturation
47
What happens when bromine is added to an unsaturated compound?
The orange colour disappears, indicating the presence of a double carbon bond.
48
What happens when bromine is added to a saturated compound?
There is no addition reaction and no colour change.
49
Alkenes react with gaseous hydrogen halides at room temperature to form...
haloalkanes.
50
What is formed from the hydration reaction of alkenes?
Alcohols
51
What catalyst is used to form alcohols when alkenes react with steam?
Phosphoric acid
52
What is an electrophilic addition reaction?
When alkenes take part in an addition reaction to form saturated compounds.
53
What attracts electrophiles in an electrophilic addition reaction?
The high electron density of the Pi electrons.
54
What is an electrophile?
An atom or group of atoms that is attracted to an electron-rich centre and accepts an electron pair.
55
What is a carbocation?
An ion with a positively charged carbon atom with three bonds.
56
What are carbocations classified by?
The number of alkyl groups (-R) attached to the positively charged carbon atom.
57
The more alkyl groups attached to the positively-charged carbon atom...
the more the charge is spread out, making the ion more stable.
58
What are the three ways you can make haloalkanes?
From alkenes From alkanes From alcohols
59
How can you make haloalkanes from alkenes?
By bubbling hydrogen halides though the alkene. (electrophilic addition)
60
How can you make haloalkanes from alkanes?
By adding a halogen. (free radical substitution)
61
How can you make haloalkanes from alcohols?
By adding sodium halide to the alcohol with the use of a sulfuric acid catalyst.
62
What are polymers?
Extremely large molecules formed from many thousands of repeat units of smaller molecules known as monomers.
63
Why do unsaturated alkene molecules undergo addition polymerisation?
To produce long saturated chains with no double bonds.
64
What makes polymers suitable for storing food and chemicals safely?
They have very low reactivity.
65
Why does the disposal of polymers bring environmental issues?
They are non-biodegradable.
66
Why do alcohols have higher boiling points than alkanes?
Because the only intermolecular forces in alkanes are London forces whereas alcohols have hydrogen bonding which is much stronger and therefore require more energy to break.
67
Why are alcohols more soluble in water than alkanes?
Because of the hydrogen bonding, they can form more hydrogen bonds with the water.
68
What does it mean if the alcohol is classified as primary?
The -OH group is attached to a carbon atom that is attached to two hydrogen atoms and one alkyl group.
69
What does it mean if an alcohol is classified as secondary?
The -OH group is attached to a carbon atom that is attached to one hydrogen group and two alkyl groups.
69
What does it mean if an alcohol is classified as tertiary?
The -OH group is attached to a carbon atom that is attached to no hydrogen atoms and three alkyl groups.
70
What is the general oxidising agent used for oxidising primary and secondary alcohols?
K2Cr2O7 (Potassium dichromate VI) acidified with dilute sulfuric acid.
71
What happens if the alcohol is oxidised with the potassium dichromate?
The orange solution containing dichromate ions is reduced to a green solution.
72
What can primary alcohols be oxidised to?
Aldehydes or carboxylic acids
73
How do you make sure that when oxidising primary alcohols, the aldehyde is prepared?
The aldehyde is distilled out of the reaction mixture as it forms to prevent any further reaction with the oxidising agent.
74
If a primary alcohol is heated strongly under reflux with an excess of acidified potassium dichromate, what is formed?
A carboxylic acid
75
What does heating a primary alcohol under reflux ensure?
That any aldehyde formed initially in the reaction also undergoes oxidation to carboxylic acid.
76
What is distillation for in the oxidation of primary alcohols?
The preparation of aldehydes.
77
What is heating the alcohol under reflux for in the oxidation of primary alcohols?
The preparation of carboxylic acid.
78
What are secondary alcohols oxidised to?
Ketones
79
How are secondary alcohols oxidised to ketones?
They are heated under reflux with the oxidising mixture (K2Cr2O7/H2SO4)
80
Can tertiary alcohols undergo oxidation?
No
81
What is the colour change of the dichromate ions when they are added to a primary or secondary alcohol?
Orange to green
82
What is the dehydration of alcohols?
An alcohol is heated under reflux in the presence of an acid catalyst or concentrated phosphoric acid.
83
What is removed from alcohols in dehyration?
A water molecule
84
What type of reaction is an dehydration reaction?
Elimination
85
What is a nucleophile?
An atom or group of atoms that is attracted to an electron deficient carbon atom where it donates a lone pair of electrons to form a new covalent bond.
86
What is hydrolysis?
A chemical reaction involving water or an aqueous solution of a hydroxide that causes the breaking of a bond in a molecule.
87
What happens in the hydrolysis of a haloalkane?
The halogen is replaced by an -OH group.
88
What type of reaction is hydrolysis?
Nucleophilic substitution reaction
89
How do CFCs deplete the ozone layer?
Once they are in the stratosphere, UV radiation provides sufficient energy to break a carbon-halogen bond in CFCs by homolytic fission to form radicals which break down ozone into oxygen.
90
What is a tertiary carbocation?
A positive carbon bonded to three other carbons.
91
What is a secondary carbocation?
A positive carbon with three bonds, two of which are carbons.
92
What is a primary carbocation?
A positive carbon with three bonds, one of which is a carbon.
93
What type of carbocation is most stable?
Tertiary

A Level Chemistry (8 decks)

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