Alevel Chemistry Revision OC 14
Revision Material
Duration: 9th – 14th March
Topic 14 An Introduction to organic chemistry
Organic chemistry involves the study of a large class of chemical compounds containing carbon. This topic introduces naming conventions, organic reaction
terminology and structures of organic molecules.
Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
14.1 Formulae, functional (a) interpret and use the general, structural, displayed and skeletal formulae of the following
groups and the classes of compound:
naming of organic (i) alkanes, alkenes
compounds (ii) halogenoalkanes
(iii) alcohols (including primary, secondary and tertiary)
(iv) aldehydes and ketones
(v) carboxylic acids, esters
(vi) amines (primary only), nitriles
(Candidates are expected to recognise the shape of the benzene ring when it is present
in organic compounds. Knowledge of benzene or its compounds is not required for AS
Level.)
(b) understand and use systematic nomenclature of simple aliphatic organic molecules with
functional groups detailed in 14.1(a), up to six carbon atoms (six plus six for esters and
amides, straight chains only)
(c) deduce the possible isomers for an organic molecule of known molecular formula
(d) deduce the molecular formula of a compound, given its structural, displayed or skeletal
formula
14.2 Characteristic organic (a) interpret and use the following terminology associated with types of organic reactions:
reactions (i) functional group
(ii) homolytic and heterolytic fission
(iii) free radical, initiation, propagation, termination
(iv) nucleophile, electrophile
(v) addition, substitution, elimination, hydrolysis, condensation
(vi) oxidation and reduction
(in equations for organic redox reactions, the symbols [O] and [H] are acceptable for oxidising and
reducing agents)
14.3 Shapes of organic (a)
molecules; σ and π (i) describe and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, the ethane, ethene
bonds molecules in terms of σ and π bonds
(ii) predict the shapes of, and bond angles in, other related molecules
, 14.4 Isomerism: structural (a) describe structural isomerism and its division into chain, positional and functional group
and stereoisomerism isomerism
(b) describe stereoisomerism and its division into geometrical (cis-trans) and optical isomerism
(use of E, Z nomenclature is acceptable but is not required)
(c) describe geometrical (cis-trans) isomerism in alkenes, and explain its
origin in terms of restricted rotation due to the presence of π bonds
(d) explain what is meant by a chiral centre and that such a centre normally gives rise to optical
isomerism
(Candidates should appreciate that compounds can contain more than one chiral centre, but
knowledge of meso compounds, or nomenclature such as diastereoisomers is not required)
(e) identify chiral centres and geometrical (cis-trans) isomerism in a molecule of given structural
formula
Revision Material
Duration: 9th – 14th March
Topic 14 An Introduction to organic chemistry
Organic chemistry involves the study of a large class of chemical compounds containing carbon. This topic introduces naming conventions, organic reaction
terminology and structures of organic molecules.
Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
14.1 Formulae, functional (a) interpret and use the general, structural, displayed and skeletal formulae of the following
groups and the classes of compound:
naming of organic (i) alkanes, alkenes
compounds (ii) halogenoalkanes
(iii) alcohols (including primary, secondary and tertiary)
(iv) aldehydes and ketones
(v) carboxylic acids, esters
(vi) amines (primary only), nitriles
(Candidates are expected to recognise the shape of the benzene ring when it is present
in organic compounds. Knowledge of benzene or its compounds is not required for AS
Level.)
(b) understand and use systematic nomenclature of simple aliphatic organic molecules with
functional groups detailed in 14.1(a), up to six carbon atoms (six plus six for esters and
amides, straight chains only)
(c) deduce the possible isomers for an organic molecule of known molecular formula
(d) deduce the molecular formula of a compound, given its structural, displayed or skeletal
formula
14.2 Characteristic organic (a) interpret and use the following terminology associated with types of organic reactions:
reactions (i) functional group
(ii) homolytic and heterolytic fission
(iii) free radical, initiation, propagation, termination
(iv) nucleophile, electrophile
(v) addition, substitution, elimination, hydrolysis, condensation
(vi) oxidation and reduction
(in equations for organic redox reactions, the symbols [O] and [H] are acceptable for oxidising and
reducing agents)
14.3 Shapes of organic (a)
molecules; σ and π (i) describe and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, the ethane, ethene
bonds molecules in terms of σ and π bonds
(ii) predict the shapes of, and bond angles in, other related molecules
, 14.4 Isomerism: structural (a) describe structural isomerism and its division into chain, positional and functional group
and stereoisomerism isomerism
(b) describe stereoisomerism and its division into geometrical (cis-trans) and optical isomerism
(use of E, Z nomenclature is acceptable but is not required)
(c) describe geometrical (cis-trans) isomerism in alkenes, and explain its
origin in terms of restricted rotation due to the presence of π bonds
(d) explain what is meant by a chiral centre and that such a centre normally gives rise to optical
isomerism
(Candidates should appreciate that compounds can contain more than one chiral centre, but
knowledge of meso compounds, or nomenclature such as diastereoisomers is not required)
(e) identify chiral centres and geometrical (cis-trans) isomerism in a molecule of given structural
formula
