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Year 11 - Science

Alcohols

Organic chemistry

Unit Summary

This unit covers identifying functional groups, naming and drawing structural formulae, and predicting reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids. It explains addition and condensation polymerisation and discusses natural polymers like DNA, sugars, and amino acids.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe and explain properties and reactions of alcohols.

Key Notes

  • Alcohols can react, at their functional group -OH, with sodium, oxygen, water, or an oxidising agent.
  • Alcohols need less oxygen than equivalent alkanes in order to burn completely.
  • Alcohols are good solvents which also mix with water.
  • The boiling point of ethanol is much higher than the boiling point of ethane.
  • Ethanol can be formed via fermentation of glucose (renewable) or via hydration of ethene (non-renewable).

Vocabulary To Learn

  • alcohol: Alcohols are a homologous series of compounds that contain the -OH functional group.
  • functional group: The functional group is the atom or group of atoms responsible for the way a compound reacts.
  • solvent: A solvent is a liquid into which a solute dissolves.
  • fermentation: Fermentation is a process that produces solutions of ethanol from sugar, resulting from the anaerobic respiration of microorganisms.
  • hydration: A reaction involving the addition of water is known as hydration.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Incorrectly writing the molecular formula of alcohols.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

Alcohols can react, at their functional group -OH, with sodium, oxygen, water, or an oxidising agent. Alcohols need less oxygen than equivalent alkanes in order to burn completely.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'alcohol'

Alcohols are a homologous series of compounds that contain the -OH functional group. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Incorrectly writing the molecular formula of alcohols. Correction: Help pupils understand the difference between structural formula, e.g C₂H₅OH, and molecular formula, e.g C₂H₆O.

More Lessons In This Unit

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