Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2020

Last exams 2024

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Hydrocarbons (CIE AS Chemistry)

Exam Questions

3 hours41 questions
1a2 marks

State two reasons why alkanes are unreactive.

1b2 marks

Methane reacts with chlorine to produce chloromethane, CH3Cl. The reaction is initiated by the formation of chlorine radicals.

i)
State what is meant by a radical.
[1]
ii)
State the condition required to form chlorine free radicals from Cl2.
[1]
1c1 mark

State the type of bond fission involved in the reaction in part (b).

1d3 marks

Chloromethane will be formed via several steps.

i)
Write the equations for the two propagation steps.
[2]

ii)
Write an equation to show how ethane can be formed in this reaction.
[1]

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2a3 marks

This question is about the reactions of propene.

Complete the flowchart below to show the major organic product formed in each of the addition reactions.

4-3_q2a-ocr-a-as--a-level-easy-sq

2b2 marks

Use ‘curly’ arrows to complete the mechanism for the formation of the major product when propene CH3CHCH2, reacts with hydrogen bromide, HBr. 

4-3_q2b-ocr-a-as--a-level-easy-sq
2c1 mark

Draw the displayed formula of the minor product formed from the reaction of propene and hydrogen bromide.

2d3 marks

Explain why there is a major and minor product formed from the reaction between propene and hydrogen bromide. 

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3a4 marks

Alkanes can undergo both complete and incomplete combustion.

State the difference between complete and incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel, such as octane. Include the balanced symbol equation for each in your answer.

3b1 mark

Octane is found in petrol.

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and poisonous gas which is emitted in the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles that use a petrol internal combustion engine.

 
i)
State why carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, fainting, loss of consciousness and death in humans. 
[1]

ii)
State another pollutant that is also released in cars' exhaust fumes. Explain the effect of this pollutant in the atmosphere.

[2]

3c2 marks

Octane can be cracked to form pentane and one other product.

i)
Give the balanced symbol equation for this reaction.

[1]

ii)
Describe how catalytic cracking is carried out.

[2]

3d3 marks

Describe and give the result of a chemical test that would distinguish between the two products.

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1a1 mark

A reaction scheme involving cyclohexane is shown in Fig. 4.1.

fig-4-1-9701-y22-sp-2-cie-ial-chem

Fig. 4.1.

Reaction 1 involves a free radical substitution mechanism.

State the essential condition required for reaction 1 to occur.

1b5 marks

Complete Table 4.1 to give details of the mechanism in reaction 1. Include curly arrows to show the movement of electrons occurring in the termination step.

Table 4.1

GZyGrUb2_table-4-1-9701-y22-sp-2-cie-ial-chem

1c1 mark

Deduce the type of reaction that occurs in reaction 2.

1d2 marks

Hex-3-ene is an isomer of cyclohexane. Hex-3-ene can be converted into propanoic acid.

hex-3-ene rightwards arrow with reaction space 3 on top propanoic acid


Deduce the reagents and conditions for reaction 3.

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2a3 marks

This question is about alkenes with the molecular formula C5H10 .

Draw the skeletal formulae of three branched chain alkenes with the molecular formula C5H10 .

q4a-9cho-al-2-oct-2021-edexcel-a-level-chem

2b2 marks

An alcohol can react with concentrated phosphoric acid, H3PO4, to form pen-2-ene. 

i)
Give the formula of the alcohol that will form only pent-2-ene during this reaction. 
[1]

ii)
Give a name for this type of reaction. 
[1]

2c4 marks

Pent-2-ene reacts with hydrogen bromide, HBr, to form two bromoalkanes.

Complete the diagram to show the mechanism for the formation of 2-bromopentane in this reaction.
Include curly arrows, and relevant lone pairs and dipoles.

q4c-9cho-al-2-oct-2021-edexcel-a-level-chem

2d
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4 marks

A sample of pent-1-ene, with a mass of 1.33 g, is warmed to 60°C in a sealed container. The volume of the container is 500 cm3.

Calculate the pressure inside the container.


Include units and give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.

[molar gas constant (R) = 8.31 J mol−1 K−1]

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3a2 marks

Crude oil contains a mixture of hydrocarbons which are separated using fractional distillation. 

Further processes can then be carried out, including cracking. 

i)
What is meant by the term 'cracking'. 
[1]
ii)
Explain why cracking is carried out.
[1]

3b3 marks
i)
State two conditions required for the cracking of alkanes. 

[2]

ii)
Construct a balanced equation for the formation of heptane, C7H16 and two other products, by cracking tetradecane, C14H30.

[1]

3c4 marks

Another alkane, C8H18 is used in gasoline. It undergoes combustion to produce a mixture of products including carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and unburnt hydrocarbons. 

i)
Explain why carbon monoxide is dangerous if inhaled.
[2]

ii)
Describe the environmental effect of oxides of nitrogen and unburnt hydrocarbons.

[2]

3d2 marks

Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of cars. 

Use equations to show how a catalytic converter reduces the levels of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen released into the atmosphere.

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4a4 marks

This question is about alkanes and alkenes. 

Propene and propane can be produced from the cracking of hexane, C6H14.

C6H14 → C3H8 + C3H6

Explain why propane is relatively unreactive.

4b2 marks

Describe and give the result of a test that can be done to distinguish between the two hydrocarbons. 

4c6 marks

Propene, C3H6 , is an alkene.

The reagents needed for three reactions of propene are shown in Fig. 4.1.

Complete Fig. 4.1 by drawing the structure of the organic product produced in each reaction. 

reactions-of-propene

Fig. 4.1
[3]

ii)
Propene also reacts with hydrogen bromide, HBr.

Give the mechanism for this reaction to form the major product.

Include curly arrows, and relevant lone pairs and dipoles.
[3]
4d2 marks

Propene reacts by addition polymerisation to form poly(propene).

Draw the structure of poly(propene), showing two repeat units.

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5a2 marks

This question is about alkenes. 

One method of preparing ethene in a school or college laboratory is from ethanol by using the apparatus shown below in Fig. 5.1.

preparation-of-ethene

Fig. 5.1

i)
Write a balanced equation for this reaction.
[1]

ii)
What type of reaction is this?
[1]
5b4 marks

Ethene is bubbled into two separate test-tubes, one containing aqueous hydrogen bromide and the other containing cold, dilute acidified potassium manganate(VII).

In each case, complete Table 5.1 to describe any colour changes you would see and give the structural formula of the organic product.

Table 5.1

  aqueous hydrogen bromide

cold, dilute acidified
potassium manganate(VII)
 colour at start    
 colour after reaction    
 structural formula of organic product    

5c1 mark

Cyclohexene has the following structural formula.

cyclohexene

What is the molecular formula of cyclohexene?

5d3 marks

Cyclohexene can react with bromine. 

i)
Draw the structural formula of the compound formed when cyclohexene is reacted with bromine.
[1]

ii)
State what type of mechanism is involved in forming this product.
[2]
5e1 mark

Draw the structural formula of the compound formed when cyclohexene is reacted with hot concentrated acidified potassium manganate(VII).

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1a2 marks

This question is about free radical substitution. 

1,2-dibromoethane reacts with bromine in UV light to produce a mixture of further substituted haloalkanes. 

i)
Write an equation for the initiation step. 
[1]
ii)
Explain why this is an example of homolytic fission. 
[1]
1b2 marks

Write two equations showing the propagation of this chain reaction to produce 1,1,2-tribromoethane. 

1c2 marks

Traces of 1,2,3,4-tetrabromobutane are found in the reaction mixture. 

i)
Write an equation to show how this product is formed. 
[1]
ii)
Write a balanced symbol equation to show the overall reaction between 1,1,2-tribromoethane with bromine in UV light to form hexabromoethane. 
[1]
1d2 marks

Using the information from this question and your own knowledge, suggest the limitations of free radical substitution.

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2a
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8 marks

This question is about hydrocarbons.

10 cm3 of a gaseous hydrocarbon, CxHy, was reacted with 100 cmof oxygen gas, an excess. The final volume of the gaseous mixture was 95 cm3

This gaseous mixture was treated with concentrated, aqueous sodium hydroxide to absorb the carbon dioxide present. This reduced the gas volume to 75 cm3.

All gas volumes were measured at 298 K and 100 kPa.

i)
Write an equation for the reaction between sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide.

[1]

ii)
Calculate the volume of carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of the hydrocarbon.



volume of CO2 produced = ................. cm3
[1]

iii)
Calculate the volume of oxygen used up in the reaction with the hydrocarbon.




volume of O2 used = ................. cm3
[1]

iv)
Use your answers to (b)(ii) and (b)(iii), together with the initial volume of hydrocarbon, to balance the equation below.

............CxHy + ............O2 → ............CO2 + zH2O

[2]

v)
Deduce the values of x, y and z in the equation in (iv).

x = .............................
y = .............................
z = .............................

[3]

2b5 marks

A branched-chain hydrocarbon, W, with the formula C4H8, reacts with hydrogen bromide, HBr, to give two products X and Y.

 

X and Y are structural isomers of molecular formula C4H9Br. More X is produced than Y.

i)
Give the structural formuale and names of the compounds WX, and Y.

Name of W .....................................................................................
Structural formula of W .....................................................................................
Name of X .....................................................................................
Structural formula of X .....................................................................................
Name of Y .....................................................................................
Structural formula of Y .....................................................................................

[3]

ii)
When W reacts with hydrogen bromide, more X than Y is produced. Explain why.

[2]

2c2 marks

Pent-2-ene will react with HBr.

 

Draw the mechanism for the reaction of pent-2-ene with hydrogen bromide. You do not need to include any partial charges.

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3a2 marks

A student completed an investigation into the amount of C=C bonds in a molecule of cooking oil, with a density of 0.526 g cm-3, by titrating samples with 0.02 mol dm-3 bromine water.

The student plans to use the following procedure for their investigation.

  1. Measure 5.0 cm3 of solvent into a conical flask.
  2. Add five drops of cooking oil to the solvent, using a dropping pipette.
  3. Swirl to ensure mixing.
  4. Note the initial reading of the bromine water in the burette.
  5. Add the 2.0 x 10-2 mol dm-3 bromine water from the burette to the solution in the conical flask slowly.
    • Shake vigorously after each addition until the bromine colour disappears.
  6. As the bromine colour takes longer to fade with each addition, add less bromine water each time until there is just an excess of bromine in the flask.
    • This will be shown by a permanent yellow tint.
  7. Note the final reading of the burette.

Suggest two improvements that the student could make to this procedure to obtain more consistent results.

3b6 marks

The student’s titration results are shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1

Experiment  Initial volume / cm3  Final volume / cm3 
Rough 0.00 26.35
1 0.00 26.25
2 0.10 26.45
3 0.00 26.10

The approximate Mr of the cooking oil is 1002 and its density is 0.526 g cm–3.
Assume each drop of cooking oil has a volume of 5.0 × 10–2 cm3.

The concentration of bromine water used was 2.0 × 10–2 mol dm–3.

Use this data and the titration results from Table 3.1 to deduce the number of C=C double bonds in a molecule of the oil. Show your working.

3c4 marks

Fig. 3.1 shows the structure of a mono-unsaturated oil and a polyunsaturated oil.


3-2-3c-h-mono-and-polyunsaturated-oilsFig. 3.1

i)
Suggest what is meant by the terms mono-unsaturated oil and polyunsaturated.

[2]

ii)
Suggest the reagent and conditions necessary to produce the mono-unsaturated oil from the polyunsaturated oil.

[2]

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