Edexcel IAL Chemistry Topic 10C & 10D Checklist
(2025–2026 Exams)
Topic 10: Organic Chemistry – Halogenoalkanes, Alcohols and Spectra
10C: Alcohols
Understand the nomenclature of alcohols
and be able to draw their structural, displayed and skeletal formulae
Understand the distinction between primary
, secondary
and tertiary alcohols
Understand the reactions of alcohols with:
– Oxygen in air (combustion)
– Halogenating agents:
• PCl 5 to produce chloroalkanes (including its use as a qualitative test for the presence of the –OH group)
• 50% concentrated sulfuric acid and potassium bromide to produce bromoalkanes
• Red phosphorus and iodine to produce iodoalkanes
– Concentrated phosphoric acid to form alkenes by elimination
(Descriptions of the mechanisms of these reactions are not required.)
– Oxygen in air (combustion)
– Halogenating agents:
• PCl 5 to produce chloroalkanes (including its use as a qualitative test for the presence of the –OH group)
• 50% concentrated sulfuric acid and potassium bromide to produce bromoalkanes
• Red phosphorus and iodine to produce iodoalkanes
– Concentrated phosphoric acid to form alkenes by elimination
(Descriptions of the mechanisms of these reactions are not required.)
Understand that potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid can oxidise:
– Primary alcohols to produce aldehydes (which give a positive result with Benedict’s or Fehling’s solution) if the product is distilled as it forms
– Primary alcohols to produce carboxylic acids (which give a positive result with sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogencarbonate) if the reagents are heated under reflux
– Secondary alcohols to produce ketones
(In equations, the oxidising agent can be represented by [O].)
– Primary alcohols to produce aldehydes (which give a positive result with Benedict’s or Fehling’s solution) if the product is distilled as it forms
– Primary alcohols to produce carboxylic acids (which give a positive result with sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogencarbonate) if the reagents are heated under reflux
– Secondary alcohols to produce ketones
(In equations, the oxidising agent can be represented by [O].)
Understand the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound:
– Heating under reflux
– Extraction with a solvent using a separating funnel
– Distillation
– Drying with an anhydrous salt
– Boiling temperature determination
– Heating under reflux
– Extraction with a solvent using a separating funnel
– Distillation
– Drying with an anhydrous salt
– Boiling temperature determination
CORE PRACTICAL 7
: The oxidation of propan-1-ol to produce propanal and propanoic acid.
Further suggested practical:
Investigation of reactions of primary and secondary alcohols, including propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol
10D: Mass Spectra and IR
Be able to interpret data from mass spectra
to suggest possible structures of simple organic compounds using the m/z of the molecular ion and fragmentation patterns
Be able to use infrared spectra
, or data from infrared spectra, to deduce functional groups present in organic compounds, and predict infrared absorptions, given wavenumber data, due to familiar functional groups including:
– C–H stretching absorptions in alkanes, alkenes and aldehydes
– C=C stretching absorption in alkenes
– O–H stretching absorptions in alcohols and carboxylic acids
– C=O stretching absorptions in aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids
– C–X stretching absorption in halogenoalkanes
– N–H stretching absorption in amines
– C–H stretching absorptions in alkanes, alkenes and aldehydes
– C=C stretching absorption in alkenes
– O–H stretching absorptions in alcohols and carboxylic acids
– C=O stretching absorptions in aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids
– C–X stretching absorption in halogenoalkanes
– N–H stretching absorption in amines
CORE PRACTICAL 8
: Analysis of some inorganic and organic unknowns.