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Topic 8 of 8 · Form 3

Chemistry of the environment and organic chemistry

Testing for water (anhydrous copper(II) sulfate, cobalt(II) chloride); water treatment (sedimentation, filtration, chlorination); air composition; pollutants (CO, SO₂, NOₓ, particulates, methane) and their sources and effects; catalytic converters; greenhouse effect and climate change; acid rain.

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  1. PDFChemistry of the environment and organic chemistry – Chemistry notes (Cambridge O Level)47.2 KB

Water and air

Testing for water (anhydrous copper(II) sulfate, cobalt(II) chloride); water treatment (sedimentation, filtration, chlorination); air composition; pollutants (CO, SO₂, NOₓ, particulates, methane) and their sources and effects; catalytic converters; greenhouse effect and climate change; acid rain.

Fertilisers

NPK fertilisers; ammonium salts and nitrates; eutrophication.

Organic chemistry

  • Homologous series, functional groups, structural formulae and isomers; naming up to four carbon atoms.
  • Fuels: fractional distillation of petroleum and uses of fractions.
  • Alkanes: saturated, combustion and substitution with chlorine in UV light.
  • Alkenes: unsaturated, made by cracking; test with bromine water; addition reactions (hydrogen, steam, bromine).
  • Alcohols: ethanol by fermentation and by hydration of ethene – comparison; combustion; oxidation to ethanoic acid.
  • Carboxylic acids: weak acids; esterification with alcohols (concentrated sulfuric acid catalyst).
  • Polymers: addition (poly(ethene)) and condensation (polyamides and polyesters); environmental problems of plastics.
Exam tip: Compare fermentation and hydration of ethene under: raw materials (renewable or not), rate, purity and conditions.

Check yourself

  1. Name the ester formed from ethanol and ethanoic acid.
  2. Give one advantage of making ethanol by fermentation.
  3. What does a catalytic converter do?
Show answers
  1. Ethyl ethanoate.
  2. It uses renewable raw materials (sugar) and low temperatures.
  3. Converts CO, NOₓ and unburnt hydrocarbons into less harmful CO₂, N₂ and H₂O.
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