T H E C O M M O N W E A L T H A N D I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I B R A R Y Joint Chairmen of the SIR ROBERT ROBINSON, O.M., F.R.S., Honorary Editorial Advisory Board London DEAN ATHELSTAN SPILHAUS, Minnesota Publisher ROBERT MAXWELL, M . C , M.P. C O M M O N W E A L T H L I B R A R Y O F M O D E L A N S W E R S Editor C . W . SCHOFIELD Model Answers in Organic Chemistry This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of without the publisher's consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. MODEL ANSWERS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FOR Ά * LEVEL A N D O R D I N A R Y N A T I O N A L C E R T I F I C A T E S T U D E N T S BY A. J. SHOWLER, B.Sc., Ph.D., A.R.I.C. Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, Medway College of Technology AND T. A. BROWN, B.Sc, B.Com. Senior Science Master, St. Bees School PERGAMON PRESS OXFORD · LONDON · EDINBURGH · NEW YORK PARIS · FRANKFURT Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford 4 & 5 Fitzroy Square, London W.l Pergamon Press (Scotland) Ltd., 2 & 3 Teviot Place, Edinburgh 1 Pergamon Press Inc., 122 East 55th Street, New York 22, N.Y. Pergamon Press GmbH, Kaiserstrasse 75, Frankfurt-am-Main Federal Publications Ltd., Times House, River Valley Rd., Singapore Samcax Book Services Ltd., Queensway, P.O. Box 2720, Nairobi, Kenya Copyright © 1965 Pergamon Press Ltd. First edition 1965 Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-18372 Printed in Northern Ireland at the Universities Press, Belfast Introduction IN WRITING this book, the aim has been to present to the student (particularly the student who is working on his own or who is inexperienced in sitting for examinations) a series of answers which show what is required and expected in the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level and Ordinary National Certificate examinations. Opinions differ in many cases as to what is required in answer to a given question, and the authors would not suggest that their answers are perfect. Nor should the student use them as such, or assume that all the organic chemistry he needs is to be found in this book. The answers are intended only to supplement the information in the normal textbook used in preparing for the examination, and to serve as a guide to the reader, in that they show, for example, how long an answer should be, how information should be presented, the type of sketch required, the essential equations and details of a preparation. Nine examining boards at present set Advanced Level examina- tions in chemistry, and all have substantially the same syllabus. Ordinary National Certificate is of a similar standard, but with generally rather more emphasis on aromatic chemistry, and a wider variation in syllabus, since most technical colleges have their own and set their own examinations. Nevertheless, the Ordinary National Certificate candidate could well find any question repro- duced on the following pages in his examination, though the Ad- vanced Level student would not expect to be called on to answer some of the Ordinary National Certificate questions given here. For this reason, and since many more students sit for Advanced Level, emphasis has been laid on these questions, which have been reproduced from the past papers of all the Boards prepared to allow this. Ordinary National Certificate questions come from four sources only, three Technical Colleges and the Welsh Joint Education vii v i i i INTRODUCTION Committee. Unless otherwise stated, questions are from the Summer Advanced Level examination in the year stated. Naturally, the layout of examination papers varies from one examining board to another, but all are set out so that the student answers questions on all three branches of chemistry. It cannot be too strongly stressed that in studying for the examination, no one branch, organic, inorganic or physical, should be sacrificed to learn more of the other two. Such a course may well end in disaster, and even if the student passes, his basic knowledge may then be so poor that further progress at a higher level is found to be impossible. In this respect, Ordinary National Certificate is the more efficient, since such a course is prevented by the setting of three papers, one in each branch of chemistry. It is assumed that a student will either have a copy of the syllabus of the examination he is to sit for, or will be taught by someone familiar with it, but, nevertheless, a selection of past papers may also be useful, so that the candidate can familiarize himself with the layout of the paper and the type of question set by his board. (Details of appropriate addresses and costs are set out on pages 107-108.) It should be noted that the University of London Advanced Level and the three College Ordinary National Certificate papers (but not the Welsh Joint Education Committee) allow 3 hours for 5 questions, and in all other cases the candidate answers 6 questions in 3 hours, or 5 questions in 2\ hours. Consequently, answers to the former questions are a little longer than the others. In the course of preparation, many alternative answers to parts of questions presented themselves, and it was felt that these too should be reproduced, but not in the answer itself, which would be unduly lengthened by text which would not normally appear in it. Such alternatives have, therefore, been placed in the notes after the appropriate question, and the student would put one or other of the alternatives (but not both) in his answer. Other interesting points which arise in connection with an answer are also to be found in the notes, generally because it was felt that in the time allowed they were not sufficiently relevant to the question to be included, even though of importance in the general considera- tion of the topic. Further questions are reproduced without answers, to enable the student to obtain practice in answering examination questions, to INTRODUCTION IX emphasize points already made, to stress the important parts of the syllabus, and to fill gaps which inevitably occur when questions are selected as has been done here. In answering questions, the student is reminded to take notice of all the advice given to him by his teachers. In particular, when the examination comes, remember that the first marks are the easiest to obtain, so the full number of questions should always be attempted. Do not overrun your time on any question; keep an eye on the clock, and at the end of the appropriate time commence the next question, whether or not the previous one is finished (except perhaps when nearing the end of a calculation). If you have time at the end, come back to the unfinished questions. Always allow time to plan your answer, jotting down a few notes first; this avoids missing out essential items and putting in irrelevant matter. Finally, leave time to read through the finished paper; many a small error can be found and corrected by doing this. In conclusion, remember that neither this book nor any other will enable you to pass any examination unless you are prepared to do the necessary work to learn the chemistry required. Acknowledgements THE authors gratefully acknowledge the help of the Examining Boards and Authorities listed below, in granting permission to reproduce questions set by them in past examinations. It is expressly to be noted that copyright still, in all cases, rests with the Examining body. Associated Examining Board for the General Certificate of Education Southern Universities' Joint Board for School Examinations Welsh Joint Education Committee University of Durham School Examination Board University of London Bournemouth Municipal College of Technology and Commerce Medway College of Technology Whitehaven College of Further Education These Examining bodies are in no way responsible for the answers contained in this book, which are solely the work of the authors. xi Structure and Isomerism Explain clearly and concisely how the following are carried out in the laboratory: (a) Lassaigne sodium fusion, (b) the Carius method for the quantitative determination of chlorine. (Welsh Joint Educat ion Commit tee, O . N . C . Syl labus A , 1963, qu . 8) The most reliable method of detecting nitrogen, sulphur and halogens in organic compounds is by means of the Lassaigne sodium fusion. A small amount of the compound under investiga- tion is gently warmed in a soda-glass tube with a small piece of sodium. When reaction appears to have ceased and charring is complete, the tube and its contents are strongly heated and then plunged into cold water. (During this time the eyes should be carefully shielded, or goggles worn.) In this way any halogen present is converted to sodium halide, any sulphur to sodium sul- phide, and any nitrogen (by combining also with carbon) to cyanide. The tube is crushed in the water, which is boiled to extract all the soluble material. The solution is then filtered or decanted off, and divided into three parts. Sulphide and cyanide are tested for first, since if present they must subsequently be removed before testing for halide. (a) A very dilute solution of sodium nitroprusside is added to one portion. A purple colour confirms the presence of sulphur. (b) To a second portion is added ferrous sulphate solution (extra if sulphide is present). A green precipitate of ferrous hydroxide is produced, since excess sodium will have rendered the solution alkaline, due to the formation of the oxide and peroxide. F e S 0 4 + 2 NaOH = Fe(OH)2 + N a 2 S 0 4 The mixture is then boiled, so that any sodium cyanide present will produce ferrous cyanide, and after subsequent acidification 1 2 MODEL ANSWERS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY (with concentrated hydrochloric acid) sodium ferrocyanide. 2 NaCN + F e S 0 4 - Fe(CN) 2 + N a 2 S 0 4 Fe(CN)2 + 4 NaCN - Na 4Fe(CN) 6 A few drops of ferric chloride are now added, when a blue or green colour (or precipitate) due to the formation of ferric ferro- cyanide results if nitrogen was originally present in the organic compound (see Note 1). Alternatively the presence of blue specks on a filter paper after filtration is also positive. m n FeCl3 + Na 4Fe(CN) e - N a F e [ F e ( C N ) 6 ] + 3 NaCl (c) If either or both sulphur and nitrogen are detected, the sulphide and/or cyanide are now removed from the third portion by acidifica- tion with sulphuric acid and boiling in an evaporating basin until no hydrogen sulphide or hydrogen cyanide can be detected in the vapours. Na 2S + H 2 S 0 4 - N a 2 S 0 4 + H 2SÎ 2 NaCN + H 2 S 0 4 - N a 2 S 0 4 + 2 H C N | Silver nitrate solution is added to the remaining solution, and any precipitate identified as chloride, bromide or iodide by colour (white, cream or yellow) and ease or otherwise of solubility in ammonium hydroxide. NaX + A g N 0 3 - N a N O a + A g X | If chlorine (or other halogen) has been identified qualitatively, and it is then desired to carry out a quantitative estimation, the Carius method is frequently used. This involves heating a weighed amount of the organic material with fuming nitric acid and silver nitrate in a sealed, hard glass tube. In practice the tube is a long one, and 2-4 ml of acid and about 0-2 g of solid silver nitrate are first placed in the tube. The sample (about 0*15 g) is weighed out in a smaller glass tube which is lowered into the other, and this is then sealed by carefully drawing it out and sealing in a blowpipe flame. The sealed tube is encased in a length of iron pipe, inverted once to ensure mixing of the sample with the acid and then placed in a furnace and maintained at 200°C for 4 or 5 hours. Stable sub- stances may require higher temperatures and longer times. The tube is opened by playing a very small flame on the tip, until the glass blows out, after which the end may be safely broken