> Organic chemistry

The activities in this topic illustrate how useful chemicals can be obtained from crude oil and the properties and uses of hydrocarbons. Polymers are explored through polymerisation reactions and investigations into polymer properties, such as making ‘slime’ and investigating ‘hydrogels’. More advanced activities include the synthesis and testing of the characteristic properties of a wide range of aliphatic and aromatic substances, alcohols, halogenoalkanes, organic acids and esters. The techniques covered include: reflux, distillation, vacuum filtration, purification and determination of yield and purity.

Experiment collections

Crude oil and alkanes Unsaturated hydrocarbons Aromatic hydrocarbons Organic halogen compounds Alcohols, phenols and ethers Carboxylic acids & related compounds

Esters Carbonyl compounds Organic nitrogen compounds Investigating organic reactions Making organic compounds Polymers and polymerisation