GCSE Chemistry · AQA 8462 · Topic 4.7
Organic chemistry
Key points
- Crude oil is a finite resource made from ancient plankton. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mostly alkanes, separated by fractional distillation.
- Alkanes have the general formula . Properties such as boiling point, viscosity and flammability depend on chain length.
- Complete combustion of hydrocarbons gives carbon dioxide and water.
- Cracking breaks long alkanes into shorter, more useful alkanes and alkenes. Bromine water turns from orange to colourless with alkenes.
- (Chemistry only) Alkenes, alcohols and carboxylic acids are homologous series with their own functional groups and reactions.
- (Chemistry only) Addition polymers form from alkenes; condensation polymers form from two different monomers with loss of a small molecule such as water.
- (Chemistry only) DNA, proteins, starch and cellulose are natural polymers.
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Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon compounds. Carbon atoms can form four covalent bonds and join into long chains, so there are millions of organic compounds, from the fuels in crude oil to the plastics, medicines and biological…
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