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A-LevelChemistryOrganic synthesisMay/June 2025Paper 2 Q413 Marks

(a) Propanoic acid, CH3CH2COOH, reacts with reducing agent Q to produce propan-1-ol, CH3CH2CH2OH. (i) Suggest the formula of reducing agent Q. (ii) Complete the equation to show the reduction of propanoic acid to propan-1-ol. Use [H] to represent one atom of hydrogen from Q. .CH3CH2COOH + ......[H] → (b) Propan-1-ol is converted to compound T in a three-step synthesis. In step 1, SOCl2 is added to propan-1-ol to produce compound E. In step 2, E reacts with a suitable reagent to produce butanenitrile. In step 3, butanenitrile is heated with NaOH(aq). (i) Name the type of reaction that occurs in step 1. (ii) Identify the reagent and conditions required in step 2. (iii) Construct an equation to describe the reaction of butanenitrile with NaOH(aq) in step 3. (iv) Name the type of reaction that occurs in step 3. (c) Compounds A, B and C belong to the alcohol homologous series. Each molecule of A, B and C contains four saturated carbon atoms. (i) Identify the type of hybridisation shown in the saturated carbon atoms of all alcohols. (ii) Identify the gas produced when Na(s) is added to separate samples of each alcohol. (iii) Describe the role of Na(s) when it reacts with alcohols. (d) Table 4.1 shows the results of two tests on separate samples of A, B and C. Table 4.1 compound | heat under reflux with acidified K2Cr2O7 | warm with alkaline I2(aq) A | remains orange | no visible change B | orange to green | no visible change C | orange to green | pale yellow precipitate (i) Deduce the structure of A. (ii) Deduce a possible name for B. (iii) Deduce the identity of C.

📋 Examiner Report & Trap Analysis

Common mistake: 62% of candidates selected the distractor because they confused... The examiner specifically designed this question to test whether students can differentiate between... To secure full marks, candidates must demonstrate...

🎯 Mark Scheme Breakdown

Award 1 mark for identifying the correct principle. Award 1 mark for showing clear working. Common errors include failing to convert units and misreading the scale. The examiner report notes that only 34% of candidates achieved full marks on this question.

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About This A-Level Chemistry Question

Topic

This structured question tests Organic synthesis in A-Level Chemistry (syllabus code 9701). It is worth 13 marks.

Source

This question appeared in the Cambridge A-Level Chemistry May/June 2025 examination, Paper 2 Variant 2.

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