AS Level Organic Chemistry for OCR A

AS | Y12 Organic Chemistry

OCR A Spec. Ref: Module 4

This course introduces organic chemistry at AS Level, providing you with a knowledge and understanding of the important chemical ideas that underpin the study of organic chemistry: nomenclature and formula representation, functional groups, organic reactions. These concepts will be explored through learning about the structures, properties and reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols and haloalkanes.

You will be introduced to the various types of structures used commonly in organic chemistry, nomenclature, and the important concepts of homologous series, functional groups and reaction mechanisms using curly arrows.

1. Introduction to Organic Chemistry

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the key terminology in organic chemistry. You will be introduced to all of the homologous series and functional groups that you need to know at AS Level, including their general formulae.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 b, c, d

2. Naming Organic Compounds

In this lesson you will learn the systematic method used by Chemists around the world to name and identify organic compounds.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 a, e

3. Organic Reaction Mechanism: Basic Principles

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the basic principles that apply to all organic reaction mechanisms, with a focus on what the curly arrow represents and how to use it correctly across all of the organic mechanisms you may come across in A level Chemistry.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 h-i

4. Radical substitution

In this lesson, you will learn the details of the reaction of alkanes with chlorine and bromine by radical substitution using ultraviolet radiation, including a mechanism involving

homolytic fission and radical reactions in terms of initiation, propagation and termination.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 f-g, 4.1.2 f-g

5. Electrophilic addition

In this lesson, you will learn the mechanism of electrophilic addition in alkenes by heterolytic fission, including the use of Markownikoff’s rule to predict formation of a major organic product in addition reactions of H-X to unsymmetrical alkenes.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 h-i, 4.1.3 f-i

6. Addition polymerisation

In this lesson, you will learn the definition of polymers, monomers and repeating units, as well as write equations for the addition polymerisation reactions of alkenes and substituted alkenes. You will also learn how to name polymers, draw the structures for sections of a polymer and how to identify monomers from a given section of an polymer.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.3 j

7. Nucleophilic substitution

In this lesson, you will learn the definition of a nucleophile, and the mechanism of nucleophilic substitution in the hydrolysis of primary haloalkanes with aqueous alkali.

OCR A Spec Ref: 4.1.1 h-i, 4.2.2 a-c

In addition to this AS Level Organic Chemistry for OCR A course, you can also find the AS Level Organic Chemistry for AQA course here.