Organic Chemistry #4: The Chemistry of Alkanes (Slides and Student Led Tasks)

LESSON OBJECTIVE: Describe and understand the properties of alkanes and characteristic reactions including combustion reactions and free-radical substitution reactions with chlorine and bromine.

In this lesson we introduce the topic of hydrocarbons and in particular focus on the properties and reactions of the alkanes homologous series. This is lesson four in our organic chemistry series of Unit 15: Hydrocarbons (from the Cambridge International AS Chemistry Curriculum (9701) 2019-2021 curriculum).

Learning Outcomes:
(taken from the Cambridge International AS and A Level Chemistry (9701) 2019-2021 curriculum)
15.1 Alkanes
a) understand the general unreactivity of alkanes, including towards polar reagents

b) describe the chemistry of alkanes as exemplified by the following reactions of ethane:
(i) combustion
(ii) substitution by chlorine and bromine

c) describe the mechanism of free-radical substitution at methyl groups with particular reference to the initiation, propagation and termination reactions