St.

Mary’s Catholic High School, Fujairah

Core practical specification for UNIT 3 and UNIT 6
AS
Unit:1
1.3 j) Make a salt and calculate the percentage yield of product, egpreparation of a double salt
(ammonium iron(II) sulfate fromiron, ammonia and sulfuric acid)
1.3 k) carry out and interpret the results of simple test tube reactions,such as displacements,
reactions of acids, precipitations, to relate the observations to the state symbols used in
equationsand to practise writing full and ionic equations.
1.4 f) Evaluate the results obtained from experiments using theexpression:
energy transferred in joules = mass x specific heat capacity xtemperature change
and comment on sources of error and assumptions made inthe experiments.
The following types of experiments should beperformed:
i) experiments in which substances are mixed in an insulatedcontainer and the temperature
rise measured
ii) simple enthalpy of combustion experiments using, eg a seriesof alcohols in a spirit
burner
iii)plan and carry out an experiment where the enthalpy changecannot be measured
directly, eg the enthalpy change forthe decomposition of calcium carbonate using the
enthalpychanges of reaction of calcium carbonate and calcium oxide with HCl.
Unit:2

2.4 d) Carry out experiments to determine the effect of an electrostaticforce on jets of liquids
and use the results to determine whetherthe molecules are polar or non-polar.
2.5 c) Carry out experiments to study the solubility of simple moleculesin different solvents
2.7.1g) Describe and carry out the following:
i)experiments to study the thermal decompositionof group 1 and 2 nitrates and
carbonates
ii)flame tests on compounds of group 1 and 2
iii)simple acid-base titrations using a range of indicators,acids and alkalis, to calculate
solution concentrations ing dm-3 and mol dm-3, eg measuring the residual alkali
present after skinning fruit with potassium hydroxide

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2.7.2 b) Describe and carry out the following chemical reactions ofhalogens:
i)oxidation reactions with metal and non-metallic elementsand ions such as iron(II) and
iron(III) ions in solution
ii)disproportionation reactions with cold andhot alkali, eg hot potassium hydroxide with
iodine to produce potassium iodate(V)

2.7.2 c) Carry out an iodine/thiosulfate titration, including calculationof the results and
evaluation of the procedures involved, egdetermination of the purity of potassium
iodate(V) by liberationof iodine and titration with standard sodium thiosulfate solution
2.7.2 d) describe and carry out the following reactions:
i)potassium halides with concentrated sulfuricacid, halogens and silver nitrate solution
ii)silver halides with sunlight and their solubilitiesin aqueous ammonia solution
iii)hydrogen halides with ammonia andwith water (to produce acids)
2.8 f) Carry out simple experiments to demonstrate the factors thatinfluence the rate of chemical
reactions, eg the decomposition ofhydrogen peroxide.
2.10.1 d) Demonstrate an understanding of, and practise, the preparationof an organic liquid
(reflux and distillation), eg oxidation ofalcohols.
2.10.2 c) Carry out the preparation of an halogenoalkane from an alcoholand explain why a
metal halide and concentrated sulfuricacid should not be used when making a
bromoalkane or aniodoalkane
2.10.2 e) Carry out the reactions of halogenoalkanes
i)aqueous alkali, eg KOH (aq)
ii)alcoholic potassium hydroxide
iii)water containing dissolved silver nitrate
iv)alcoholic ammonia

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Unit 4:
4.3 c) Investigate reactions which produce data that can be used tocalculate the rate of the
reaction, its half-life from concentrationor volume against time graphs, eg a clock reaction
4.3 e) Investigate the reaction of iodine with propanone in acid toobtain data for the order with
respect to the reactants andthe hydrogen ion and make predictions about molecules/ions

involved in the rate-determining step and possible mechanism

(details of the actual mechanism can be discussed at a laterstage in this topic)
4.4 g) Carry out experiments and relate the results to disorder andenthalpy changes including:
i)dissolving a solid, eg adding ammoniumnitrate crystals to water
ii)gas evolution, eg reacting ethanoic acidwith ammonium carbonate
iii)exothermic reaction producing a solid, egburning magnesium ribbon in air
iv)endothermic reaction of two solids, eg mixing solid bariumhydroxide,
Ba(OH)2.8H2O with solid ammonium chloride
4.8.2 c) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the reactions ofcarbonyl compounds.
This will be limited to:
i)oxidation with Fehling’s or Benedict’s solution, Tollens’reagent and acidified
dichromate(VI) ions
ii)reduction with lithium tetrahydridoaluminate(lithium aluminium hydride) in dry ether
iii)nucleophilic addition of HCN in the presence of KCN,using curly arrows, relevant
lone pairs, dipoles andevidence of optical activity to show the mechanism
iv)the reaction with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine andits use to detect the presence of a
carbonyl groupand to identify a carbonyl compound given dataof the melting
temperatures of derivatives
v)iodine in the presence of alkali.
4.8.3 d) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the reactions ofcarboxylic acids.
This will be limited to:
i)reduction with lithium tetrahydridoaluminate (lithiumaluminium hydride) in dry ether
(ethoxyethane)
ii)neutralization to produce salts, eg to determinethe amount of citric acid in fruit

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iii)phosphorus(V) chloride (phosphorus pentachloride)
iv)reactions with alcohols in the presence of an acidcatalyst, eg the preparation of ethyl
ethanoateas a solvent or as pineapple flavouring.
4.8.4 b) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the reactions of acylchlorides limited to their
reaction with:
i)water
ii)alcohols
iii)concentrated ammonia
iv)amines
4.8.4 c) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the reactions ofesters. This will be limited to:
i)their hydrolysis with an acid
ii)their hydrolysis with a base, eg to form soaps
iii)their reaction with alcohols and acids to explain theprocess of trans-esterification and
recall how it isapplied to the manufacture of bio-diesel (as a potentiallygreener fuel)
and low-fat spreads (replacing thehydrogenation of vegetable oils to produce
margarine)
Unit 5
5.3.1 d) Set up some simple cells and calculate values of Ecell fromstandard electrode potential
values and use them to predict thethermodynamic feasibility and extent of reactions
5.3.1 g) Carry out and evaluate the results of an experiment involving theuse of standard
electrode potentials to predict the feasibility of areaction, eg interchange of the
oxidation states of vanadium ormanganese.
5.3.2 g) Carry out experiments to:
i)investigate ligand exchange in copper complexes
ii)study the redox chemistry of chromium inoxidation states Cr(VI), Cr(III) and Cr(II)
iii)prepare a sample of a complex, eg chromium(II) ethanoate
5.3.2 j) Carry out and interpret the reactions of transition metal ionswith aqueous sodium
hydroxide and aqueous ammonia, both inexcess, limited to reactions with aqueous
solutions of Cr(III),Mn(II), Fe(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II).
5.4.1 d) Describe the following reactions of benzene, limited to:
i)combustion to form a smoky flametreatment with:

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ii)bromine
iii) concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids
iv)fuming sulfuric acid
v)halogenoalkanes and acyl chlorides with aluminiumchloride as catalyst
(Friedel-Crafts reaction)
vi)addition reactions with hydrogen carry out the following reactions where appropriate
(usingmethylbenzene or methoxybenzene)
5.4.1 e) Carry out the reaction of phenol with bromine water and dilutenitric acid and use these
results to illustrate the activation of thebenzene ring.
5.4.2 b) Describe and carry out, where appropriate (using butylamine andphenylamine),
reactions to investigate the typical behaviour ofprimary amines. This will be limited to:
i)characteristic smell
ii)miscibility with water as a result of hydrogen bondingand the alkaline nature of the
resulting solution
iii)formation of salts
iv)complex ion formation with copper(II) ions
v)treatment with ethanoyl chloride andhalogenoalkanes, eg making paracetamol
5.4.2 d) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the reaction ofaromatic amines with nitrous
acid to form benzenediazoniumions followed by a coupling reaction with phenol to form
a dye.
5.4.2 i) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, experiments toinvestigate the characteristic
behaviour of amino acids. This islimited to:
i)acidity and basicity and the formation of zwitterions
ii)separation and identification by chromatography
iii)effect of aqueous solutions on planepolarisedmonochromatic light
iv)formation of peptide groups in proteinsby condensation polymerization
v)reaction with ninhydrin.
5.4.3 f) Describe and carry out, where appropriate, the preparationof a compound, egcholesteryl
benzoate (a liquid crystal) andof methyl 3-nitrobenzoate, requiring some of the
followingtechniques:
i)refluxing

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ii)purification by washing, eg with waterand sodium carbonate solution
iii)solvent extraction
iv)recrystallization
v)drying
vi)distillation
vii)steam distillation
viii)melting temperature determination
ix)boiling temperature determination.

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