Polymers and organic chemistry written questions
Write H1 Chemistry answers on organic reactions, isomerism, polymers and proteins, using marking guidance to check structures and explanations.
Learning goals
- Name hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes and benzene) and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name halogenoalkanes and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name aldehydes and ketones and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name carboxylic acids and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name esters and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name amines and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name amides and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Name amino acids and use their general, structural and displayed formulae
- Interpret and use the term functional group
- Interpret and use the terms addition, substitution and elimination
- Interpret and use the terms condensation and hydrolysis
- Interpret and use the terms oxidation and reduction for organic reactions
- Describe structural (constitutional) isomerism, where isomers differ in how their atoms are connected
- Describe cis–trans isomerism in alkenes and explain it by restricted rotation about the π bond
- Deduce the possible isomers of a molecule from its molecular formula
- Describe the shapes of ethane, ethene and benzene molecules
- Explain the shapes and bond angles of ethane, ethene and benzene using their σ and π carbon–carbon bonds
- Predict the shapes and bond angles of molecules similar to ethane, ethene and benzene
- Describe alkanes, such as ethane, as unreactive apart from combustion and substitution by chlorine in ultraviolet light at room temperature
- Describe the combustion of alkenes, such as ethene, and their addition reactions with bromine in CCl₄ and hydrogen over a nickel catalyst
- Describe how halogenoalkanes, such as bromoethane, undergo substitution to alcohols with hot NaOH(aq) and elimination to alkenes with hot NaOH in ethanol
- Describe the combustion of alcohols, such as ethanol, their oxidation to carboxylic acids with hot acidified K₂Cr₂O₇ or KMnO₄, and their elimination to alkenes with hot concentrated H₃PO₄
- Describe the reduction of aldehydes and ketones to alcohols with LiAlH₄ or H₂ and nickel, and the oxidation of aldehydes to carboxylic acids with hot acidified K₂Cr₂O₇ or KMnO₄
- Describe how carboxylic acids, such as ethanoic acid, form salts with alkalis and carbonates, esters with alcohols (concentrated H₂SO₄ catalyst) and amides with amines (using DCC)
- Describe the hydrolysis of esters and amides, such as ethyl ethanoate and ethanamide, by heating with aqueous acid or alkali
- Describe how amines, such as ethylamine, react with aqueous acid to form salts
- Recognise polymers as macromolecules of monomers with an average relative molecular mass of at least 1000 or at least 100 repeat units
- Classify polymers as addition or condensation polymers and explain the difference
- Describe proteins as condensation polymers of α-amino acids joined by peptide (amide) bonds
- Describe the hydrolysis of proteins by heating with aqueous acid or alkali
- Describe how hydrogen bonds, intermolecular forces and ionic linkages hold a protein's three-dimensional structure
- Explain how extremes of temperature and pH denature proteins by disrupting the bonds that hold their three-dimensional structure
- Use protein structure changes to explain everyday effects, such as cooking egg white or adding vinegar to milk
- Explain how thermoplastics such as poly(ethene) and thermosets such as poly(diallyl phthalate) differ in softening and recyclability, using structure and bonding
- Explain how thermoplastics such as poly(ethene) and thermosets such as poly(diallyl phthalate) differ in rigidity, using structure and bonding
- Explain how thermoplastics such as poly(ethene) and thermosets such as poly(diallyl phthalate) differ in strength, using structure and bonding
- Explain why LDPE in plastic bags is softer and more flexible than HDPE in bottles, using structure and bonding
- Explain why polyester (PET) fabric creases slightly less than polyamide (nylon 6,6), using structure and bonding
- Explain why PVA dissolves in water for use in eye drops while PVC resists water for raincoats, using structure and bonding
- Explain why strongly alkaline cleaners are stored in poly(propene) rather than PET containers, which they hydrolyse
- Predict a polymer's physical properties from its structure
- Recognise that poly(alkenes) are chemically inert and so hard to biodegrade
- Recognise that polyesters and polyamides usually biodegrade by hydrolysis
- Recognise that materials are finite and why recycling plastics matters, weighing economic, environmental and social factors
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Beyond the syllabus: optional enrichment that does not count towards your progress.