AQA A-LEVEL CHEMISTRY PRACTICE
SET 2026 COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Do Carbonyls have a lower or higher boiling point when compared
to a corresponding Alcohol? Answer: Lower
◉ Do Carbonyls have a higher or lower boiling point when compared
to a corresponding Alkane? Answer: Higher
◉ Do Carbonyls dissolve in water? Answer: Yes limited association
with water molecules
◉ What's the test for an Aldehyde? Answer: Tollens reagent - Silver
mirror test
OR
Fehling's/Benedict's reagent blue to brick red
◉ What is the Test for a Ketone? Answer: Negative result with an
oxidizing agent like Fehlings
◉ What is the Test for a Carboxylic Acid? Answer: Add a carbonate -
CO2 formed and effervesence
,OR
Universal indicator - red colour
◉ Will a Carboxylic Test positive as a Carbonyl? Answer: No
◉ What is the Oxidising Agent for Alcohols? Answer: Acidified
Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7)
◉ Oxidising Agents to change Aldehydes to Carboxylics? Answer:
Fehlings, Acidified Potassium Dichromate, Tollens
◉ What is the Reducing agent for Carboxylics and Carbonyls?
Answer: NaBrH4 OR LiAlH4
◉ Can all Alcohols be Oxidized to a Carbonyl? Answer: Not Tertiary
◉ Product of Oxiding a Primary Alcohol? Answer: Aldehyde,
Carboxylic
◉ Product of Oxidising a Secondary Alcohol? Answer: Ketone
◉ Product of Oxidising a Ketone Answer: Not going to happen
,◉ What is the specific functional group determining a Carbonyl?
Answer: C=O group
◉ What is the reaction mechanism associated most associated with
Carbonyls? Answer: Nucleophilic Addition
◉ What are the conditions required for a Carbonyl to undergo
Nucleophilic Addition with a cyanide ion? Answer: Hydrogen Cyanide,
Potassium Cyanide Catalyst (Don't even think about doing it in the
lab)
◉ Asymmetrical Carbonyls will react with Nucleophiles to give
products......Why is the product not optically active? Answer:
Racemate....equal quantity of both Optical isomers
◉ Asymmetrical alcohols will undergo Nucleophilic
Substitution........Why is the product not optically active? Answer:
Only one Optical isomer is produced
◉ What is the reagent in the electrophilic addition of water to an
alkene? Answer: Water with strong acid (sulfuric or phosphoric acid)
◉ What two species are added to the carbons either side of the
double bond when water is electrophilically added to an alkene?
Answer: H and OH
, ◉ What is the product when water is electrophilically added to an
alkene? Answer: An alcohol
◉ What is the general formula of an alcohol with no carbon rings?
Answer: CnH2n+1OH
◉ Where is the OH attached in aromatic alcohols? Answer: Directly
to the ring
◉ What are aromatic alcohols known as? Answer: Phenols
◉ What is a primary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 1 other carbon
◉ What is a secondary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 2 other carbons
◉ What is a tertiary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 3 other carbons
◉ What is the C-O-H angle in an alcohol and why? Answer: ~105°
because the oxygen has two lone pairs which makes the functional
group a V-shaped molecule
SET 2026 COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Do Carbonyls have a lower or higher boiling point when compared
to a corresponding Alcohol? Answer: Lower
◉ Do Carbonyls have a higher or lower boiling point when compared
to a corresponding Alkane? Answer: Higher
◉ Do Carbonyls dissolve in water? Answer: Yes limited association
with water molecules
◉ What's the test for an Aldehyde? Answer: Tollens reagent - Silver
mirror test
OR
Fehling's/Benedict's reagent blue to brick red
◉ What is the Test for a Ketone? Answer: Negative result with an
oxidizing agent like Fehlings
◉ What is the Test for a Carboxylic Acid? Answer: Add a carbonate -
CO2 formed and effervesence
,OR
Universal indicator - red colour
◉ Will a Carboxylic Test positive as a Carbonyl? Answer: No
◉ What is the Oxidising Agent for Alcohols? Answer: Acidified
Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7)
◉ Oxidising Agents to change Aldehydes to Carboxylics? Answer:
Fehlings, Acidified Potassium Dichromate, Tollens
◉ What is the Reducing agent for Carboxylics and Carbonyls?
Answer: NaBrH4 OR LiAlH4
◉ Can all Alcohols be Oxidized to a Carbonyl? Answer: Not Tertiary
◉ Product of Oxiding a Primary Alcohol? Answer: Aldehyde,
Carboxylic
◉ Product of Oxidising a Secondary Alcohol? Answer: Ketone
◉ Product of Oxidising a Ketone Answer: Not going to happen
,◉ What is the specific functional group determining a Carbonyl?
Answer: C=O group
◉ What is the reaction mechanism associated most associated with
Carbonyls? Answer: Nucleophilic Addition
◉ What are the conditions required for a Carbonyl to undergo
Nucleophilic Addition with a cyanide ion? Answer: Hydrogen Cyanide,
Potassium Cyanide Catalyst (Don't even think about doing it in the
lab)
◉ Asymmetrical Carbonyls will react with Nucleophiles to give
products......Why is the product not optically active? Answer:
Racemate....equal quantity of both Optical isomers
◉ Asymmetrical alcohols will undergo Nucleophilic
Substitution........Why is the product not optically active? Answer:
Only one Optical isomer is produced
◉ What is the reagent in the electrophilic addition of water to an
alkene? Answer: Water with strong acid (sulfuric or phosphoric acid)
◉ What two species are added to the carbons either side of the
double bond when water is electrophilically added to an alkene?
Answer: H and OH
, ◉ What is the product when water is electrophilically added to an
alkene? Answer: An alcohol
◉ What is the general formula of an alcohol with no carbon rings?
Answer: CnH2n+1OH
◉ Where is the OH attached in aromatic alcohols? Answer: Directly
to the ring
◉ What are aromatic alcohols known as? Answer: Phenols
◉ What is a primary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 1 other carbon
◉ What is a secondary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 2 other carbons
◉ What is a tertiary alcohol? Answer: One which is attached to a
carbon which is attached to 3 other carbons
◉ What is the C-O-H angle in an alcohol and why? Answer: ~105°
because the oxygen has two lone pairs which makes the functional
group a V-shaped molecule
