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Chemistry A level > Alkanes > Flashcards

Alkanes Flashcards

1
Q

Give 3 reasons why carbon can form so many compounds?

A

Can form 4 covalent bonds to other atoms
Can form single, double or triple bonds
Can bond to other Carbon atoms to form long chains

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2
Q

Definition of a hydrocarbon?

A

Compound containing Carbon and Hydrogen only

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3
Q

What does alicyclic mean?

A

Organic compounds which combine cyclic structures with aliphatic properties

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4
Q

What does aliphatic mean?

A

Organic compounds which carbon atoms form open chains, not aromatic rings

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5
Q

What does aromatic mean?

A

Organic compound containing a planar unsaturated ring of atoms which is stabilised by an interaction of the bonds forming the ring

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6
Q

What does saturated mean?

A

Contains greatest number possible number of hydrogen atoms, without c-c double or triple bonds

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7
Q

What does unsaturated mean?

A

Organic molecule which has c-c, double or triple bonds, so doesn’t have the greatest amount of hydrogens

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8
Q

What is a homologous series?

A

A series of organic compounds having the same functional group, but with each successive member differing by CH2

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9
Q

What is a functional group?

A

A group of atoms responsible for the characteristic reactions of a compound

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10
Q

Alkane with 1 carbon?

A

Methane CH4

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11
Q

Alkane with 2 carbons?

A

Ethane C2H6

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12
Q

Alkane with 3 carbons?

A

Propane C3H8

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13
Q

Alkane with 4 Carbons?

A

Butane C4H10

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14
Q

Alkane with 5 Carbons?

A

Pentane C5H12

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15
Q

Alkane with 6 carbons?

A

C6H14

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16
Q

Alkane with 7 Carbons?

A

Heptane C7H16

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17
Q

Alkane with 8 carbons?

A

Octane C8H18

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18
Q

Alkane with 9 carbons?

A

Nonane C9H20

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19
Q

Alkane woth 10 carbons?

A

Decane C10H22

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20
Q

What’s the general formula for alkanes?

A

CnH2n+2

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21
Q

General formula for cycloalkanes?

A

CnH2n, carbons form ring structure

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22
Q

What’s the empirical formula?

A

The simplest whole number ratio of atoms of each element present in a compound

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23
Q

What’s the molecular formula?

A

The actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule

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24
Q

What’s the general formula?

A

The simplest algebraic formula of a member of a homologous series

25
What's the structural formula?
Minimal detail that shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule- eg brackets show branching, use C's as a starting point
26
What's the displayed formula?
The relative positioning of all the atoms in a molecule, including the bonds between them, ie drawn out with all bonds shown
27
Skeletal formula?
Use zig zag lines for carbon chain, each intersection/end = a carbon, no hydrogens shown, for functional groups have extra line drawn to them
28
How to name an organic compound?
Identify the longest carbon chain, make this the stem eg. Hex for 6C See if it's saturated or unsaturated (ane or ene), or is a different type eg. alcohol, and put this behind stem (if ene, put number(s) inbetween stem and ene to show where double/triple bonds are Identify any alkyl chains (methyl, ethyl, propyl etc), and put this in front of stem then in front of that if there is more than 1, put "di, tri etc" then in front of that put the Carbon numbers where they occur. Apply the same rule to functional groups, except they go infront of alkyl chains, and have smallest numbering priority.
29
What's the suffix when the functional group is OH? (alcohol)
ol
30
What's the suffix when the functional group is ?Carbon is double bonded to Oxygen and a hydrogen and another hydrogen or a C chain? (Aldehyde)
al
31
What's the suffix when the functional group is Carbon is double bonded to oxygen, and bonded to 2 C chains? (ketone)
one
32
What's the suffix when the functional group is Carbon double bonded to Oxygen an OH group, and either H or a C chain? (Carboxylic acid)
Oic acid
33
What are structural isomers?
Compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulae
34
3 ways structural isomers can occur?
Chain isomers- hydrocarbon chain may be branched or unbranched Position isomers- hydrocarbon chain stays the same, but functional group found in different positions Functional group isomers- When the functional group is different
35
What must an Alkane be?
Homologous series, saturated and a hydrocarbon
36
Why are Carbon atoms not arranged in a straight line?
Each Carbon in an alkane has four bonding pairs, and zero lone pairs, therefore all the bond angles will be 109.5 degrees
37
In alkanes why does when the amount of Carbons increase so does the boiling point?
Because the strength of the London forces between molecules increases With more atoms there are more electrons, so the strength of the London forces increases If there are stronger forces attracting the molecules together, more energy is required to separate the molecules
38
What happens to the boiling point in alkanes when branching is increased?
The boiling point decreases There is smaller contact area between molecules, meaning the London forces are weaker, so less energy required to break intermolecular forces
39
Why are alkanes unreactive?
They only contain C-C bonds and C-H bonds, which are strong and hard to break. C-C bonds are non polar and the electronegativities of C and H are similar enough that the C-H bond is considered non polar. The lack of polar bonds makes it difficult for alkanes to attract an attacking species
40
What's complete combustion?
When there is a plentiful supply of Oxygen, and alkanes burn cleanly producing a blue flame. All carbon atoms are oxidised to Carbon Dioxide, and all the hydrogen to water
41
General formula for complete combustion of an Alkane?
CxHy + (x+1/4y) O2 = x CO2 + 1/2y H2O
42
What's the incomplete combustion of alkanes?
When the supply of Oxygen is limited, yellow flame seen. The carbon may form carbon monoxide, or just carbon as soot. All hydrogen atoms still oxidise to water
43
Why can incomplete combustion be dangerous?
Carbon monoxide is toxic, and causes death by preventing haemoglobin from carrying oxygen to respiring tissues. CO is colourless and odourless so presence is difficult to detect
44
Equation for methane reacting with a halogen eg chlorine?
CH4+Cl2 = CH3Cl + HCl
45
What conditions are required for methane reacting with a halogen eg chlorine?
UV light
46
What type of reaction is methane reacting with a halogen eg chlorine?
Substitution, one of the H's in CH4 has been replaced by a Cl
47
What is a reaction mechanism?
Looks at what's happening during a chemical reaction in terms of the movement of electrons
48
What type of mechanism happens when an alkane and a halogen react?
Radical substation?
49
What is a radical?
A species with an unpaired electron
50
What's the chemical notation for a radical?
a dot •, eg the chlorine radical Cl•
51
What are the 3 steps in a radical substitution mechanism?
Initiation, propagation, termination
52
Equation what happens in the initiation stage?
 Br2      =       2 Br•
53
What type of bond fission produces radicals?
Homlytic, "even splitting", because the covalent bond between the halogen has a shared pair of electrons, when it splits each halogen receives one electron, meaning each will have an unpaired electron
54
Why is UV light required in the initiation stage?
To provide activation energy by breaking the halogen bond homlytically
55
What are the 2 equations in the propagation stage in the reaction of Methane and Bromine?
  Br• + CH4 → HBr + CH3• |  ‚ CH3• + Br2 → CH3Br + Br•
56
In terms of radicals what is the key feature of the propagation step?
For every radical used in the reaction, a new radical is produced
57
What are the 3 equations in the termination stage?
CH3• + Br• → CH3Br   Br• + Br• → Br2  CH3• + CH3• → CH3CH3
58
In terms of radicals what is the key feature of the termination step?
2 radicals combine to form a product which isn't a radical

Chemistry A level (16 decks)

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