Core organic chemistry bundle

This bundle covers all of the OCR A level chemistry specification section 4.1 (basic concepts and hydrocarbons) and 4.2 (alcohols, haloalkanes and analysis).
The resources included are:

• Introduction to organic chemistry
• Naming hydrocarbons (includes quiz – A Question of naming alkanes)
• Functional groups – names and formulae
• Isomerism
• Organic reagents and types of reaction
• Introduction to alkanes
• Reactions of alkanes
• Alkenes
• Polymers from alkenes
• Chemistry of alcohols
• Haloalkanes
• Organic synthesis
• AS synthetic routes
• Infrared spectroscopy
• Mass spectrometry
• Identifying compounds from infrared and mass spectra

Each topic includes a fully interactive PowerPoint including starter, group activities, questions and plenary along with a worksheet. Answers to all exercises are provided. Some of the resources include a PowerPoint quiz and all are ideal for classroom or home learning.

This bundle is part of a series covering the OCR AS Chemistry specification and relates to the following sections:
Module 4– Core organic chemistry
Part 1 – Basic concepts and hydrocarbons (all)
Part 2 - Alcohols, haloalkanes and analysis (all)

Please review!

Content covered:
Introduction to organic chemistry
• Why carbon is special
• Bonding in organic compounds
• Different types of formulae
• Types of organic compounds
• Functional groups and homologous series

Naming hydrocarbons
• Application of IUPAC rules of nomenclature for systematically naming organic compounds
• Naming alkanes and cycloalkanes
• Naming branched alkanes
• Naming alkenes and branched alkenes
Quiz – A Question of naming alkanes

Functional groups – names and formulae
• Application of IUPAC rules of nomenclature for systematically naming organic compounds
• Practice naming organic compounds including those with functional groups
• Revision of empirical and molecular formula and how to calculate them
• Formulae of compounds with functional groups
Displayed formula
Structural formula
Skeletal formula

Isomerism
• Shapes of alkanes (with model building)
• Definitions of structural isomers, stereoisomers, E/Z isomers and cis-trans isomers
• Classification of isomers with examples
• Structural isomers including chain, position and functional group isomers
• Shapes of alkenes (with model building)
• Restricted rotation around the C=C double bond
• Stereoisomers – E/Z and cis-trans isomers
• Animated illustrations of E/Z isomers
• Criteria for E/Z isomerism and for cis-trans isomerism with examples and learning check
• Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules for naming E/Z isomers with examples

Organic reagents and types of reaction
• Ways of breaking covalent bonds
Homolytic fission
Heterolytic fission
• Types of organic reagents and their reactions
Nucleophiles
Electrophiles
Radicals
• Introduction to mechanisms
• Curly arrows
• Types of reaction
Addition
Substitution
Elimination
• Classification of reactions

Introduction to alkanes

• Sources and uses of alkanes
• Definitions of fossil fuels and crude oil
• Uses of alkanes as fuels
• Bonding in alkanes
• Formation and rotation of sigma bonds
• Shapes of alkanes
• Intermolecular forces in alkanes in terms of non-polar molecules
• Melting and boiling points of alkanes in terms of London forces
• Effect of chain length and branching on London forces

Reactions of alkanes

• Reactivity of alkanes
• Combustion of alkanes – complete and incomplete
• Balancing combustion equations
• Radicals and dot-and-cross diagrams
• Radical chain reactions
• Radical substitution of alkanes by halogens
• Mechanism including initiation, propagation and termination
• Limitations to the use of radical substitution in synthesis of halogenoalkanes

Alkenes

• Structure and reactivity of alkenes
• The nature of the double bond – sigma and pi bonds
• Explanation of restricted rotation around C=C
• Shape of ethene in terms of electron pair repulsion theory
• Addition reactions of alkenes
• Reactions of ethene and propene including addition of halogens, steam, hydrogen halides and hydrogen
• Test for alkenes with aqueous bromine
• Catalytic addition of hydrogen - mechanism
• Margarine manufacture
• Definition of electrophile
• Electrophilic addition mechanism
• Addition of HX to unsymmetrical alkenes - Markownikoff’s rule and explanation

Polymers from alkenes

• Meaning of the terms addition polymer and monomer
• the formation of poly(ethene)
• General equation for polymer formation
• Identifying the monomer from the repeat unit of the monomer
• Disposal of waste polymers by recycling, cracking and combustion
• Bioplastics
• Biodegradable polymers
• Photodegradable polymers

Chemistry of alcohols

• Comparing methods of making ethanol
• Naming alcohols
• Physical properties of alcohols, in terms of hydrogen bonding
• Primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols
• Substitution reaction of alcohols
• Oxidation of alcohols
• Elimination (dehydration) reaction of alcohols
• Reactions of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols
• Animated mechanisms
• Reaction classification
• Reagents and conditions
• Structural equations
• Key definitions

Haloalkanes

• Naming haloalkanes
• Reactivity of haloalkanes general equation for polymer formation
• Uses of haloalkanes
• Nucleophilic substitution reactions of haloalkanes including hydrolysis
• Mechanism of nucleophilic substitution
• Experiment to compare rates of hydrolysis of different haloalkanes
• Explaining the different rates of hydrolysis
• Organohalogen compounds and the environment
• Destruction of ozone by CFCs

Organic synthesis

• Revision of functional groups
• Techniques for preparation and purification of organic liquids
• Heating under reflux
• Distillation
• Separation of immiscible liquids using a separating funnel
• Use of drying agents
• Stages in the preparation and purification of an organic liquid
• Tests for functional groups
• Compounds with more than one functional group
• Strategies for organic synthesis with examples

AS synthetic routes

• AS synthetic routes
• Animated mechanisms
• Key definitions
• Heating under reflux
• Distillation
• Reaction classification
• Reagents and conditions
• Structural equations

Infrared spectroscopy

• Introduction to spectroscopy linked to the electromagnetic spectrum
• Meaning of wavenumber and transmittance
• Molecular vibrations
• Bond stretching
• Fingerprint region of spectrum
• Types and shapes of peaks
• Infrared and global warming
• The greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases
• Interpreting the infrared spectrum
• Examples of IR spectra with animated explanation linking peaks to structure
• Uses of infrared spectroscopy

Mass spectrometry

• Animated diagram and description of a mass spectrometer
• Meaning of m/z
• Relative intensity
• Base peak
• Molecular ion
• M+1 peak
• Fragments
• Interpreting the mass spectrum
• Mass spectrum of ethanol
• Animations of formation of fragments from ethanol
• Summary of fragments for ethanol
• Examples of mass spectra with animated explanation linking peaks to structure
• Interpretation of mass spectrum of unknown compound leading to its identification

Identifying compounds from infrared and mass spectra

• Calculating empirical formula from % composition
• Calculating molecular formula from empirical formula and molar mass, using the molecular ion peak on the mass spectrum
• Using the infrared (IR) spectrum to identify bond stretches and hence functional group(s) present
• Drawing structural formulae consistent with the molecular formula and IR data
• Using mass spectrum to distinguish between the suggested structural formulae
• Identifying fragments in the mass spectrum