GCSE Chemistry

Organic chemistry
revision.

Crude oil, alkanes, alkenes, cracking, polymers, alcohols and carboxylic acids — carbon chemistry as a chain of reactions.

Organic chemistry guides

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Revision guideEsters

Students type: esterification ethyl ethanoate GCSE

Open guide Revision guideCondensation polymers

Students type: condensation polymerisation GCSE Chemistry

Open guide Revision guideAlcohols and carboxylic acids

Students type: fermentation vs hydration of ethene ethanol GCSE

Open guide Revision guidePolymers and addition polymerisation

Students type: addition polymerisation poly(ethene) GCSE

Open guide Revision guideCracking

Students type: cracking hydrocarbons GCSE Chemistry

Open guide Revision guideCrude oil and fractional distillation

Students type: fractional distillation crude oil GCSE

Open guide Revision guideAlkenes

Students type: alkenes general formula CnH2n GCSE

Open guide Revision guideAlkanes

Students type: alkanes general formula CnH2n+2 GCSE

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01

Alkanes

GCSE Chemistry revision on alkanes: saturated hydrocarbons, the general formula CnH2n+2, displayed formulae, combustion, and how boiling point, viscosity and flammability change with chain length.

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Alkenes

GCSE Chemistry revision on alkenes: unsaturated hydrocarbons, CnH2n, the C=C functional group, the bromine-water test, and addition reactions with hydrogen, steam, bromine and other halogens.

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Crude oil and fractional distillation

GCSE Chemistry revision on crude oil as a finite mixture of hydrocarbons and how fractional distillation separates petrol, kerosene, diesel, fuel oil and bitumen by boiling point.

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Cracking

GCSE Chemistry revision on cracking long-chain alkanes into shorter alkanes and alkenes: thermal and catalytic conditions, example equations, and why industry matches supply to demand for fuels and polymers.

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05

Polymers and addition polymerisation

GCSE Chemistry revision on addition polymerisation: alkene monomers, repeat units, poly(ethene) and poly(propene), and why plastics are useful, persistent in landfill, and awkward to recycle.

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Alcohols and carboxylic acids

GCSE Chemistry (often Triple) revision on alcohols and carboxylic acids: homologous series, ethanol by fermentation and hydration, combustion, weak-acid behaviour, carbonates, and esters from alcohol plus acid.

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Condensation polymers

GCSE Chemistry (Triple) revision on condensation polymerisation: monomers with two functional groups, small-molecule by-products such as water, nylon and polyester, and how they differ from addition polymers.

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Esters

GCSE Chemistry revision on esters: esterification from alcohol and carboxylic acid, naming ethyl ethanoate, reversible acid-catalysed conditions, uses in flavourings, and hydrolysis back to acid and alcohol.

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