OCR (A) Chemistry A-level

PAG 7: Qualitative Analysis of Organic

Functional Groups

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7.1 Identifying Organic Unknowns 1

Part 1: Identification of an alkene

Chemicals provided for the experiment

● Heptane
● Cyclohexane
● Cyclohexene
● Limonene
● Bromine water

1. Set up a water bath in a 250 cm³ beaker. Leave this to one side.
2. Heat each haloalkane separately under reflux with sodium hydroxide to release the
halide ions.
3. For each of the haloalkanes, in a separate test tube:
a. Add five drops of the refluxed haloalkane solution.
b. Add 1 cm3 of ethanol and 1cm³ of silver nitrate solution to the test tube.
c. Shake side to side to mix the solution well, and place the test tube into the water
bath.
d. Record any observations after 3 minutes.

Expected results

Chemical Colour of bromine water / observation

Heptane Orange

Cyclohexane Two separate layer forms, top layer orange

and bottom layer water

Cyclohexene Colourless

Limonene Colourless

Safety
➢ Heptane - highly flammable; fatal if swallowed; causes skin irritation; may cause
drowsiness or dizziness.
➢ Cyclohexane - highly flammable; fatal if swallowed; causes skin irritation; may cause
drowsiness or dizziness.
➢ Cyclohexene - highly flammable; fatal if swallowed; toxic in contact with skin.
➢ Limonene - highly flammable; fatal if swallowed; causes skin irritation; causes serious eye
damage.
➢ Bromine water - causes severe skin burns and eye damage; fatal if inhaled.

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Part 2: Identification of a haloalkane

Chemicals provided for the experiment:

● 1-chlorobutane
● 1-bromobutane
● 1-iodobutane
● Ethanol
● Aqueous silver nitrate

1. Set up a water bath in a 250 cm³ beaker. Leave this to one side.
2. Heat each haloalkane separately under reflux with sodium hydroxide to release the halide ions.
3. For each of the haloalkanes, in a separate test tube:
a. Add five drops of the refluxed haloalkane solution.
b. Add 1 cm3 of ethanol and 1cm³ of silver nitrate solution to the test tube.
c. Shake side to side to mix the solution well, and place the test tube into the water bath.
d. Record any observations after 3 minutes.

Expected results

Name of the chemical Observations

1-chlorobutane White precipitate forms. Slow reaction.

1-bromobutane Cream precipitate forms. Quick reaction

1-iodobutane Yellow precipitate forms. Very quick reaction

Safety
➢ 1-chlorobutane - highly flammable.
➢ 1-bromobutane - highly flammable; causes skin irritation and serious eye irritation; may
cause respiratory irritation.
➢ 1-iodobutane – flammable; harmful if inhaled.
➢ Ethanol - highly flammable.
➢ Silver nitrate solution - causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
➢ Sodium hydroxide - causes severe skin burns and eye damage.

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Part 3: Identification of Aldehydes

Chemicals provided for the experiment:

● Fehling’s reagent
● Tollens’ reagent
● Brady’s reagent
● Ethanal
● Propanone

1. Set up a hot water bath.

2. Add 2 mL Fehling’s reagent to two separate test tubes and place in a test tube rack.
3. Add a few drops of ethanal to one test tube and a few drops of propanone to the other test
tube. Warm in the water bath and record any observations.
4. Add 2 mL Tollen’s reagent to two separate test tubes and place in a test tube rack.
5. Add a few drops of ethanal to one test tube and a few drops of propanone to the other test
tube. Warm in the water bath and record any observations.
6. Add 2 mL Brady’s reagent to two separate test tubes and place in a test tube rack.
7. Add a few drops of ethanal to one test tube and a few drops of propanone to the other test
tube. Record any observations.

Expected results

Ethanal Propanone

Fehling’s reagent Brick red precipitate forms No precipitate, solution remains

deep blue

Tollens’ reagent Silver mirror forms on the surface of No change

the test tube

Brady’s Reagent Orange precipitate forms. Orange precipitate forms.

Safety
➢ Fehling’s Reagent - causes skin irritation and serious eye damage.
➢ Tollen’s Reagent - may cause skin and eye irritation; explosive.
➢ Brady’s Reagent - flammable; harmful if swallowed; causes serious eye irritation.
➢ Ethanal - highly flammable.
➢ Propanone - highly flammable; causes serious eye irritation; may cause drowsiness or
dizziness.

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Part 4: Identification of alcohols

Chemicals provided for the experiment:

● Butan-1-ol
● Butan-2-ol
● 2-methyl-propan-2-ol
● Phenol
● Acidified potassium dichromate solution
● Bromine water

1. Heat the butan-1-ol under reflux with the acidified potassium dichromate and make a note
of any observations.
2. Repeat for butan-2-ol and 2-methyl-propan-2-ol.
3. Add bromine water to a sample of phenol and note any changes.

Expected results

Compound Classification of alcohol Observation

Butan-1-ol Primary Colour change from orange to

green

Butan-2-ol Secondary Colour change from orange to

green

2-methylpropan-2-ol Tertiary Solution remains orange

Phenol causes a solution of bromine water to change from orange to colourless and a white
precipitate will form.

Safety
➢ Butan-1-ol - flammable; harmful if swallowed; causes skin irritation and serious eye
damage; may cause respiratory irritation; may cause drowsiness or dizziness.
➢ Butan-2-ol - flammable; causes serious eye damage; may cause respiratory irritation; may
cause drowsiness or dizziness.
➢ 2-methylpropan-2-ol - highly flammable; causes serious eye irritation; harmful if inhaled.
➢ Phenol - Toxic if swallowed; toxic if inhaled; toxic in contact with skin; causes severe skin
burns and eye damage; can cause damage to organs and genetic defects.
➢ Potassium dichromate - Oxidizer; toxic if swallowed; fatal if inhaled; causes severe skin
burns and eye damage; can cause damage to organs, cancer, and genetic defects;
environmental hazard.

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Part 5: Identification of carboxylic acids

Chemicals provided for the experiment:

● Ethanoic acid
● Dilute sodium carbonate solution
● Limewater

1. Place a test tube containing limewater in a test tube rack, with the delivery tube in the
solution.
2. In a second test tube, add a few mL of sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, then add a few
mL of ethanoic acid and immediately insert the bung attached to the delivery tube.
3. Bubble the gaseous product from the delivery tube through the limewater.

Expected Results
The ethanoic acid reacts with the sodium hydrogen carbonate, producing carbon dioxide.
Effervescence will be observed. CO₂ turns limewater cloudy.

Safety
➢ Limewater - causes skin irritation and serious eye damage.
➢ Ethanoic acid - flammable, causes severe skin burns and eye damage.

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