SCIENCE

YEAR 12 CHEMISTRY - ORGANIC REACTIONS EXPERIMENT

Year 12 Chemistry students have been learning about the properties and reactions of organic compounds this term. Organic compounds are those that are based on the elements carbon and hydrogen. They can also sometimes include other elements, as part of functional groups that can change the properties of the compounds, as well as the way in which they react.

As part of this topic, the students completed an experiment where they tested a range of different organic compounds. They learnt that hydrocarbons - compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms - are insoluble in water. However, simply adding oxygen (in the form of a hydroxyl group) to these compounds makes them highly water soluble.

Students also observed how the presence of a carbon to carbon double bond in a compound will make it much more reactive than compounds with only single bonds. This is why hydrocarbons containing double bonds burn more quickly than those with only single bonds.

While there were challenges along the way, in particular the pungent aroma of the compound cyclohexene and the highly corrosive nature of concentrated sulfuric acid, students were successful in demonstrating their laboratory skills and knowledge of chemistry.

Dr Fiona Wallis

Chemistry and Science Teacher