Alcohols - Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry

Complete Lessons and workbook

Content

• Know that alcohols contain the functional group OH
• Understand how to draw structural and displayed formulae for methanol, ethanol, propanol (propan-1-ol only) and butanol (butan-1-ol only), and name each compound (the names propanol and butanol are acceptable)
• Know that ethanol can be manufactured by:

1. reacting ethene with steam in the presence of a phosphoric
   acid catalyst at a temperature of about 300 oC and a pressure
   of about 60–70 atm
   2.the fermentation of glucose, in the absence of air, at an
   optimum temperature of about 30 oC and using the enzymes in
   yeast oxide

• Know that ethanol can be oxidised by:

1. burning in air or oxygen (complete combustion)
2. reaction with oxygen in the air to form ethanoic acid (microbial oxidation)
3. heating with potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid to form ethanoic acid

• Know that carboxylic acids contain the functional group COOH
• Understand how to draw structural and displayed formulae for unbranched chain carboxylic acids with up to four carbon atoms in the molecule, and name each compound
• Describe the reactions of aqueous solutions of carboxylic acids with metals and metal carbonates
• Know that vinegar is an aqueous solution containing ethanoic
  acid
• Know that esters contain the functional group COOR
• Know that ethyl ethanoate is the ester produced when ethanol
  and ethanoic acid react in the presence of an acid catalyst