Note:

Organic Chemistry Notes Coordinated Sciences Chemistry / 2025/2026/2027 exams

IGCSE  Coordinated sciences [ double award, organic chemistry students, do not study the following from the notes:

•  Write and interpret general formulae of compounds in the same homologous series, limited to: (a) alkanes, CnH2n+2 (b) alkenes, CnH2n (c) alcohols, CnH2n+1OH (d) carboxylic acids, CnH2n+1COOH 3 Identify a functional group as an atom or group of atoms that determine the chemical properties of a homologous series 
• State that a structural formula is an unambiguous description of the way the atoms in a molecule are arranged, including CH2=CH2, CH3CH2OH, CH3COOCH3 
• Define structural isomers as compounds with the same molecular formula, but different structural formulae, including C4H10 as CH3CH2CH2CH3 and CH3CH(CH3)CH3 and C4H8 as CH3CH2CH=CH2 and CH3CH=CHCH3
• Name and draw the displayed formulae of   ethanoic acid
• State the type of compound present, given a chemical name ending in  oic acid
• Name and draw the structural and displayed formulae of unbranched  alcohols, including propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol, butan-1-ol and butan-2-ol   and  carboxylic acids
• Describe how the properties of fractions obtained from petroleum change from the bottom to the top of the fractionating column, limited to  lower boiling points  and  lower viscosity.
• Name the uses of the fractions as: kerosene/paraffin fraction for jet fuel,   fuel oil fraction for fuel used in ships and home heating systems and  lubricating oil fraction for lubricants, waxes and polishes.
• State that in a substitution reaction one atom or group of atoms is replaced by another atom or group of atoms
• Describe the substitution reaction of alkanes with chlorine as a photochemical reaction, with ultraviolet light providing the activation energy, Ea, and draw the structural or displayed formulae of the products, limited to monosubstitution
• Describe the reasons for the cracking of larger alkane molecules
• State that in an addition reaction only one product is formed
• Describe the manufacture of ethanol by: (a) fermentation of aqueous glucose at 25– 35°C in the presence of yeast and in the absence of oxygen (b) catalytic addition of steam to ethene at 300°C and 6000kPa/60 atm in the presence of an acid catalyst
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the manufacture of ethanol by: (a) fermentation (b) catalytic addition of steam to ethene
• Carboxylic acids topic to be ignored.
• Deduce the structure or repeat unit of a condensation polymer from given monomers and vice versa, limited to: (a) polyamides from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine (b) polyesters from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol
• Describe and draw the structure of PET.
• Describe proteins as natural polyamides and that they are formed from amino acid monomers with the general structure:
• Describe and draw the structure of proteins

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