Skip to main content

Organic Chemistry | IGCSE Chemistry (0620)

Organic Chemistry | IGCSE Chemistry (0620) | SM-Educate
← Back to IGCSE Chemistry Hub
CS-991 · Module I-11

11 · Organic Chemistry

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 · Core + Supplement · 2026–2028
Quick Revision
🧨 Alkanes/Alkenes🔄 Polymers

11.1 Alkanes and Alkenes

The two main homologous series at IGCSE level: alkanes (CnH2n+2, saturated, single bonds only) and alkenes (CnH2n, unsaturated, contain a C=C double bond).

Alkenes can be tested using bromine water: alkenes decolourise bromine water (orange → colourless) due to the double bond; alkanes do not.

🎥 Video lectures for this sub-topic — coming soon
Q1: The general formula for alkenes is:
a) CnH2n+2 b) CnH2n c) CnH2n-2 d) CnHn
Show Answer
✅ b) CₙH₂ₙ
Q2: Bromine water is used to test for:
a) Alkanes b) Alkenes (unsaturation) c) Alcohols d) Carboxylic acids
Show Answer
✅ b) Alkenes (unsaturation)

11.2 Key Reactions and Polymers

Combustion (complete): alkane + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water. Addition reactions of alkenes: react with hydrogen (nickel catalyst) to form alkanes; with steam to form alcohols; with bromine to form dibromo compounds.

Fermentation: glucose → ethanol + carbon dioxide, using yeast, anaerobically. Polymers: large molecules made of repeating monomers. Addition polymerization joins monomers with a C=C double bond with no other product formed (e.g. ethene → poly(ethene)).

🎥 Video lectures for this sub-topic — coming soon
Q1: Fermentation of glucose produces ethanol and:
a) Oxygen b) Carbon dioxide c) Hydrogen d) Water only
Show Answer
✅ b) Carbon dioxide
Q2: Poly(ethene) is formed from ethene monomers by:
a) Condensation polymerization b) Addition polymerization c) Combustion d) Fermentation
Show Answer
✅ b) Addition polymerization
Subscribe to SM-Educate on YouTube for weekly IGCSE Chemistry updates.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

15 Chemistry Mistakes That Cost Students Marks in Exams (Class 9–12 & IGCSE)

Learn the 15 most common Chemistry exam mistakes and how to avoid them. Useful for Class 9, Class 10, Class 11, Class 12 and IGCSE Chemistry students. Last Updated: May 2026 Every year, thousands of students lose marks in Chemistry exams not because they don't know the concepts, but because of avoidable mistakes. Examiners frequently report errors related to units, calculations, scientific vocabulary, and question interpretation. In this article, you will learn the most common Chemistry mistakes and how to avoid them in Class 9, Class 10, Class 11, Class 12, and IGCSE Chemistry examinations. 1. Not Reading the Question Carefully Many students answer what they think the question asks instead of what is actually written. Tip: Underline important words such as: Define Explain Calculate Compare State Describe Different command words require different types of answers. 2. Forgetting Units Students often obtain the correct numerical answer but forget to write the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Unreasonable Reactivity of Fluorine: A Case Study in Extremes

The Unreasonable Reactivity of Fluorine | SM-EDUCATE Chemistry 🧪 SM-EDUCATE CHEMISTRY June 07, 2026 The Unreasonable Reactivity of Fluorine: A Case Study in Extremes ⚡ Dangerous chemistry · Periodic table deep dive · Fiercest nonmetal 📤 SHARE Inorganic Chemistry Fluorine Reactivity Halogens Extreme Chemistry Periodic Trends Dangerous Chemicals Fluorine is the angriest element in the periodic table. It reacts with nearly everything — including noble gases, asbestos, and even brick. It sets water on fire. It attacks gold and platinum. It chews through glass. And yet, this pale yellow gas is essential for Teflon, pharmaceuticals, and uranium enrichment. Why is fluorine so unreasonably reactive? Let's go beyond the textbook "most electronegative" and explore bond enthalpies, lattice energies, and the terrifying joy of fluorine chemi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asymmetric Synthesis: How Chemists Outsmart Nature’s Symmetry

Asymmetric Synthesis | Outsmarting Nature’s Symmetry | SM-EDUCATE Chemistry 🧪 SM-EDUCATE CHEMISTRY June 07, 2026 Asymmetric Synthesis: How Chemists Outsmart Nature’s Symmetry 🔬 Chiral worlds · Enantioselective reactions · Drug design essentials 📤 SHARE Organic Chemistry Asymmetric Synthesis Chirality Enantioselectivity Pharmaceutical Chemistry Catalysis Nature is chiral. Your DNA, your proteins, your sugars — all exist in only one mirror‑image form. But when chemists build molecules in the lab, they often get a 50:50 mix of left‑ and right‑handed versions: a racemic mixture . For many drugs, one enantiomer cures, the other kills. How do we outsmart nature’s symmetry? Asymmetric synthesis — the art of creating single enantiomers on demand. Left hand Right hand Enantiomers: mirror image...
Post a Comment
Read more