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Topic 3: Organic and Biological Chemistry

8 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

How do functional groups define organic families, and how can one formula give different compounds?

Identify functional groups in organic molecules and describe structural isomerism, including chain, positional and functional-group isomers.

Recognising the main functional groups, naming the families they define, and the three types of structural isomerism, with worked SACE-style isomer-drawing and degree-of-unsaturation examples.

9 min read →

How are hydrocarbons classified and named systematically?

Classify hydrocarbons as alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, and apply IUPAC nomenclature to name straight-chain and branched compounds.

Classifying alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, applying IUPAC rules to name and draw straight-chain and branched hydrocarbons, general formulae, and worked SACE-style naming and combustion-stoichiometry examples.

9 min read →

How do monomers join to form addition and condensation polymers?

Distinguish addition and condensation polymerisation, identify monomers and repeating units, and relate polymer structure to properties.

Addition versus condensation polymerisation, identifying monomers and repeating units, the chemistry of polyesters and polyamides, structure-property links, and worked SACE-style repeating-unit and degree-of-polymerisation problems.

9 min read →

How does the oxidation product of an alcohol depend on its class?

Describe the oxidation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols and the products formed.

Classifying alcohols as primary, secondary or tertiary, predicting their oxidation products (aldehyde, carboxylic acid, ketone, or no reaction), the oxidising agents and colour changes, with worked SACE-style examples.

8 min read →

How do alkenes undergo addition and haloalkanes undergo substitution?

Describe the addition reactions of alkenes and the substitution reactions of haloalkanes, writing equations and products.

Addition reactions of alkenes (hydrogenation, halogenation, hydration, hydrohalogenation) and substitution of haloalkanes, with Markovnikov reasoning, equations, and worked SACE-style product-prediction and stoichiometry examples.

9 min read →

How are the major biological molecules built from smaller units?

Describe the structure of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in terms of their monomers and the bonds formed by condensation reactions.

How proteins, carbohydrates and lipids are built by condensation from amino acids, monosaccharides and fatty acids/glycerol, the linkages formed, hydrolysis, and worked SACE-style condensation and saturation problems.

9 min read →

How are esters formed and broken down?

Describe the formation of esters by esterification and their breakdown by hydrolysis, writing equations and naming products.

Forming esters from a carboxylic acid and an alcohol, naming esters, the equilibrium nature of esterification, acid and base hydrolysis (saponification), and worked SACE-style naming and yield calculations.

8 min read →

How do IR, mass spectrometry and NMR help identify an organic compound?

Interpret infrared spectra, mass spectra and proton NMR spectra to determine the structure of organic molecules.

Using IR absorption bands, mass-spectrum fragments and molecular ion, and proton NMR (number of environments, integration, splitting) to deduce an organic structure, with a fully worked SACE-style spectra-combination example.

10 min read →