Edexcel A Level Chemistry Topic 6C Alkenes banner showing a C=C double bond with methyl and hydrogen groups on each carbon

Alkenes – Topic 6C

(2 customer reviews)

£9.70

Associated Courses

Taught in full. 144 minutes of video.

  1. A carbon to carbon double bond with its pi bond above and below
    Alkene Bonding25 min
  2. E and Z isomers of but-2-ene
    Geometric Isomerism33 min
  3. Curly arrows from a double bond to hydrogen bromide
    Electrophilic Addition58 min
  4. A repeat unit of poly(ethene) in brackets
    Polymerisation & Polymer Waste27 min
A laptop playing a lesson
  1. Watch
  2. Pause and try the exam question
  3. Check the worked answer

Watch a minute of the lessons.

Short clips cut from the course itself.

  1. How two p orbitals make a pi bond

  2. Why these two molecules can never be the same

  3. The first two steps of electrophilic addition

  4. Writing the equation for poly(propene)

  • 17hoursguided learning
  • 144minof video lessons
  • 90MCQ marks
  • 332SAQ marks
Full details of the lessons and hours

Alkenes Topic 6C

The Topic 6C course on Edexcel A Level Chemistry provides approximately 17 hours of guided learning. Students work through four recorded video lessons, 90 marks of auto-marked MCQ practice, 332 marks of teacher-marked written questions, and a personalised spec-point progress report.

Guided Learning
17 Hours
total study time
Video Lessons
144 mins
4 recorded lessons
MCQ Assessments
90 Marks
5 quizzes
SAQ Assessments
332 Marks
12 quizzes

How the 17 guided learning hours are worked out

Guided learning hours are calculated from the actual contents of the course, not estimated.

Video time is counted at its true running length, MCQs at 1.5 minutes per question, written answers at 1.5 minutes per mark, and time is allowed for reading the feedback returned on every quiz.

ComponentTime
Virtual lesson video144 min
MCQ practice (90 questions × 1.5 min)135 min
MCQ feedback review (5 quizzes × 10 min)50 min
SAQ practice (332 marks × 1.5 min)498 min
SAQ feedback review (12 quizzes × 15 min)180 min
Total1007 min ≈ 17 hours

The four recorded lessons

The virtual lesson is delivered as four recorded lessons totalling 144 minutes. Students pause during exam-practice sections, attempt questions independently, then review the worked explanations and the mark-scheme approach.

LessonRunning time
1. Alkene Bonding25 min
2. Geometric Isomerism33 min
3. Electrophilic Addition58 min
4. Polymerisation of Alkenes and Polymer Waste27 min
Total video144 min
At a glance

What you get in this course

144 minutes of guided video

Four recorded lessons covering Topic 6C in full, with worked exam questions and mark-scheme strategy built into the teaching.

90 marks of MCQ practice

5 auto-marked quizzes of 18 questions each, with diagnostic feedback on every option. One attempt per quiz, so your scores track real progress.

332 marks of written practice

12 written-answer quizzes (170 questions) marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP, with per-mark feedback returned the following Monday.

Spec-point coverage

28 of the 29 assessable Edexcel A level spec points in Topic 6C carry questions in the bank.

Exam-technique baked in

The lessons teach the chemistry and the exam wording. You learn what Edexcel actually rewards, not just the content.

Personalised progress report

A one-click PDF report shows your level on every spec point in colour-coded form.

See exactly where your marks are lost.

An example KASP report: each Topic 6C spec point with a coloured score bar
One-click progress report
  • Secure 70%+
  • Developing 40–69%
  • Weak below 40%
  • Not yet assessed
  • Every question tagged to a spec point
  • Updates after every quiz
  • 28 of 29 spec points covered

Your report, spec point by spec point.

An example of the colour-coded report for this topic.

A Level Chemistry progress report for Alkenes Topic 6C Edexcel showing student performance across specification points with colour coded levels for understanding
Full details of KASP Analytics

What is KASP Analytics?

KASP (Knowledge Analytics & Spec-point Platform) tracks your progress at the level of individual specification points, not just whole quizzes.

Every question on this course is mapped to the Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so you always know exactly which parts of the specification you have mastered and which need another look.

Spec points tracked
28
Topic 6C
28 spec points
Questions tagged
260
28 of 29 spec points assessed

28 of the 29 assessable Edexcel A level spec points in Topic 6C carry at least one question in this course. Across the 90 MCQ and 170 SAQ questions, most are assessed several times over, in both question styles.

6C.23 is taught in the virtual lesson and tracked on your dashboard, but is assessed in the Organic Chemistry topic rather than here.

Your topic dashboard

Every topic you have worked through is summarised here. At a glance you see how many questions you have attempted, what is still waiting to be marked, your total marks scored, and an overall score percentage.

The dashboard below is an example, filled with the real topic structure of this course.

Hello, Sara – here is how you are doing

Edexcel A level Chemistry
TopicQuestions attemptedPendingMarks (scored / available)Score
Topic 6C: Alkenes26 / 32541.50 / 58.0072%

Spec-point breakdown for a topic

Click into any topic and you see the full spec-point breakdown. Each row is a single Edexcel A level spec point with its official wording, how many questions the bank holds against it, your score, and a colour that tells you immediately where to focus.

The spec points and question counts below are the real ones from this course; the scores are an example.

Spec tagDescriptionAttemptedIn bankMarksScore
6C.20-aunderstand bonding in alkenes in terms of sigma bonds4 / 4148.00 / 8.00100.0%
6C.20-bunderstand bonding in alkenes in terms of pi bonds5 / 5149.00 / 11.0081.8%
6C.22iunderstand the addition reactions of alkenes with: hydrogen, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, to form an alkane Knowledge of the application of this reaction to the manufacture of margarine by catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated vegetable oils is expected.5 / 5177.00 / 12.0058.3%
6C.22iiunderstand the addition reactions of alkenes with: halogens to produce dihalogenoalkanes3 / 3114.00 / 6.0066.7%
6C.22vunderstand the addition reactions of alkenes with: potassium manganate(VII), in acid conditions, to oxidise the double bond and produce a diol4 / 4175.00 / 9.0055.6%
6C.24iiunderstand the mechanism of the electrophilic addition reactions between alkenes and: hydrogen halides, including addition to unsymmetrical alkenes3 / 4233.00 / 8.0037.5%
6C.24iii-ause curly arrow notation in electrophilic addition mechanisms2 / 3212.00 / 7.0028.6%
6C.24iii-bknow the relative stability of primary secondary and tertiary carbocation intermediates0 / 326–Not yet attempted
■ Green 70–100%: secure mastery■ Orange 40–69%: some gaps■ Red 0–39%: needs attention■ Grey: not yet assessed

Printable progress report

One click and you can download a clean, branded Progress Report PDF for the topic. Useful for your own revision folder, for parents to see at a glance, or for tutors to plan focused sessions.

Every spec point in the topic appears with its code and full requirement text, and the level column is colour-coded green through red.

A Level Chemistry progress report for Alkenes Topic 6C Edexcel showing student performance across specification points with colour coded levels for understanding
At a glance

What you get with KASP Analytics

Spec-point level tracking

Every question is tagged to the exact Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so your scores roll up cleanly to the specification.

Updates automatically

Submit a quiz and your dashboard updates right away. Short-answer questions appear as pending until they have been marked.

Built for Edexcel A level

Wording, codes and topic structure follow the Edexcel A Level Chemistry specification exactly, so your scores line up with the document you will be examined on.

Printable report

One-click PDF Progress Report per topic, in the same colour system, ready for your folder or for a tutor session.

Both question styles counted

MCQ and written answers feed the same spec point. With 90 MCQ and 170 SAQ questions tagged, a weak area shows up whether you miss it under multiple choice or in writing.

Progress over time

A simple line chart shows how your overall score has trended across the days you have been studying.

90 exam questions. Feedback on every option.

A multiple-choice question: the wrong option B shows why it is wrong, the right option D is ticked
Feeds your KASP report
  • 5quizzes
  • 18questions each
  • 1attempt per quiz

A real question. Marked, as you see it.

Question 11 of MCQ (A), answered: why the wrong answer is wrong, and the right one ticked.

Question 11Wrong · 0/1

Propene reacts with hydrogen bromide at room temperature to give mainly 2-bromopropane.

Which row describes the mechanism that leads to this major product?

Species that accepts the π electronsIntermediate formedSpecies that attacks the intermediate
AHᵟ⁺ atom of HBrCH₃CH⁺CH₃Br⁻
BHᵟ⁺ atom of HBrCH₃CH₂CH₂⁺Br⁻
CBrᵟ⁻ atom of HBrCH₃CHBrCH₂⁻H⁺
DH atom from HBrthe radical CH₃C·HCH₃Br atom
  • AACorrect answer
  • BBYour answer
  • CC
  • DD

About your answer

This is incorrect. This adds hydrogen to the middle carbon, which gives the primary carbocation CH₃CH₂CH₂⁺. A primary carbocation is less stable than a secondary one, and it would lead to 1-bromopropane, the minor product.

The correct answer is: A

Explanation

Hydrogen bromide adds to propene by electrophilic addition through the more stable carbocation.

  • Step 1: the π pair attacks Hᵟ⁺; H−Br breaks heterolytically.

  • Intermediate: the secondary carbocation CH₃CH⁺CH₃.

  • Step 2: Br⁻ attacks the positive carbon, giving 2-bromopropane.

  • The answer is A.

MCQ (A) is free: take it on the website, marked straight away.

Full details of the MCQ Bank

What is the MCQ Bank?

The MCQ Bank for Topic 6C is an auto-marked, instant-feedback practice engine of original questions written at real Edexcel A level exam difficulty. It runs to 5 quizzes, 90 questions and 90 marks.

Every question is tagged to a specific Edexcel A level spec point, every option carries diagnostic feedback explaining the chemistry, and every quiz attempt feeds directly into your KASP Analytics dashboard.

Quizzes
5
Questions
90
Marks
90
Attempts
1 per quiz

Try a Topic 6C MCQ from the bank

This is an original question from the bank, shown exactly as it appears in the course. Click any option to reveal the diagnostic feedback for that choice, then expand the panel at the bottom for the full walkthrough.

Alkene giving the same major product with HBr as but-1-ene

6C.24iii-b (Edexcel A level)1 mark

But-1-ene reacts with hydrogen bromide to give a major product.

Which alkene gives the same compound as its major product when it reacts with hydrogen bromide?

Click an option to see feedback

Abut-2-ene
Correct

Correct. But-1-ene gives mainly 2-bromobutane, through the secondary carbocation. But-2-ene is symmetrical: hydrogen can add to either carbon of the C=C bond and the bromide ion then bonds to the other, so it also gives 2-bromobutane.

B2-methylpropene
Incorrect

This is incorrect. This has the same molecular formula, C₄H₈, but a branched chain. Its tertiary carbocation gives 2-bromo-2-methylpropane, a different compound.

Ccyclobutene
Incorrect

This is incorrect. Cyclobutene keeps its ring when it adds HBr, so the product is bromocyclobutane, C₄H₇Br. 2-Bromobutane is an open-chain C₄H₉Br.

Dpent-2-ene
Incorrect

This is incorrect. The C=C bond is at carbon 2, but the chain has five carbon atoms. It gives 2-bromopentane and 3-bromopentane, which are not butane derivatives.

Show correct answer & full explanation →
General feedback

The major product of HBr addition comes from the more stable carbocation.

  • But-1-ene: secondary carbocation on carbon 2, giving 2-bromobutane.
  • But-2-ene: symmetrical, so either way gives 2-bromobutane.
  • Others: different carbon skeletons give different products.

The answer is but-2-ene.

5 quizzes, 90 marks of MCQ practice

The MCQ Bank runs as a single set of quizzes across the topic. Quizzes hold 18 questions worth one mark each, and each quiz is a single auto-marked attempt.

Because every spec point is tested across several quizzes, your KASP scores reveal real improvement as you work through them.

Topic 6C: Alkenes

5 quizzes · 90 marks
MCQ A
18
questions & marks
MCQ B
18
questions & marks
MCQ C
18
questions & marks
MCQ D
18
questions & marks
MCQ E
18
questions & marks
90 total marks90 questions in totalOne attempt per quizAuto-marked on submit
At a glance

What you get with the MCQ Bank

90 marks across 5 quizzes

Five quizzes of 18 questions each, giving balanced coverage of every spec point in Topic 6C.

Instant auto-marking

Submit and the result is back in your hands inside a second. No waiting, no manual checking.

Diagnostic feedback per option

Every wrong option carries a tailored explanation of the misconception, not just a generic ‘incorrect’, plus a full walkthrough on every question.

Spec-point tagged

Each question is mapped to the Edexcel A level spec point it assesses, so your score flows straight into KASP Analytics.

Track improvement across quizzes

One attempt per quiz, but the same spec points appear across the set. Your scores from quiz to quiz show real progress, not repeat-attempt inflation.

Original questions

Every MCQ is an original question written at real exam difficulty, with the chemistry checked.

Marked by a teacher. Assisted by KASP.

KASP drafts the marks
A student's handwritten mechanism on a tablet, with two marking points boxed in green and one in orange
Teacher decides every mark
  1. MonSubmit
  2. TueSubmit
  3. WedSubmit
  4. ThuSubmit
  5. FriSubmit
  6. Sat–SunTeacher + KASP mark
  7. MonFeedback back

Every SAQ is marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP. One SAQ quiz is marked each week.

What you get back. Every mark explained.

A marked answer from this course, exactly as a student sees it.

  1. A drawn mechanismEach marking point awarded on the student's own mechanism, against the mark scheme.
    A marked drawing question: the student's mechanism for HBr adding to 3-chloropropene, with the dipole, curly arrows, carbocation and bromide ion, 4 out of 4, the mark scheme awarded point by point and the teacher's feedback
  • 12quizzes
  • 170questions
  • 332marks
  • 1quiz marked each week

Not all writing. You draw and calculate too.

How the 170 questions split.

Written
91
Drawing
62
Calculation
15
Graph
2
Full details of the SAQ Bank

What is the SAQ Bank?

The SAQ Bank for Topic 6C is a written-answer practice engine marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP. It runs to 12 quizzes, 170 questions and 332 marks.

You attempt one quiz per week, submit your full written response, and your teacher returns mark-by-mark feedback the following Monday. Every comment is targeted at the exam wording you need to use.

Quizzes
12
Questions
170
Marks
332
Marks per quiz
27–30

A submitted SAQ and the feedback it gets

This is an original question from the bank with its full mark scheme. The submitted answer below is an example of a typical response at this standard. Expand the panel to see how it was marked.

Comparing the σ and π bonds of a C=C double bond

6C.20-a / 6C.20-b (Edexcel A level)3 marks

A carbon to carbon double bond consists of a σ bond and a π bond.

Compare the σ bond and the π bond in terms of how the orbitals overlap, and explain why the π bond is the one that breaks when an alkene undergoes an addition reaction.

Submitted answer

The sigma bond is made when two orbitals overlap head-on along the line between the two carbon nuclei. The pi bond is made when a p orbital on each carbon overlaps sideways, above and below the plane of the molecule.

The pi bond is the one that breaks in an addition reaction.

View returned feedback →
Returned by your chemistry specialist2 / 3 · 67%
Mark scheme
Criterion
✓The sigma bond is formed by head-on (axial) overlap of orbitals directly along the line joining the two carbon nuclei.
Awarded – ‘head-on’ and ‘along the line between the nuclei’ is exactly the wording wanted.
✓The pi bond is formed by sideways (parallel) overlap of a p orbital on each carbon, above and below the plane of the molecule.
Awarded – sideways overlap of a p orbital on each carbon, correctly placed above and below the plane.
✗Sideways overlap is less effective than head-on overlap, so the pi bond is weaker and more exposed and breaks in preference to the sigma bond during addition.
Not awarded. You stated that the π bond breaks but never said why. The mark needs the causal link: sideways overlap is less effective than head-on overlap, so the π bond is weaker and its electron density is more exposed, and it therefore breaks in preference to the σ bond.
Teacher comment

The first two marks are cleanly earned, Sara – your description of the two types of overlap is accurate and well placed.

The third mark is where most students lose out on this question, and you have lost it the same way: you told the examiner what happens but not why. Any time a question says ‘explain’, look for the causal step.

Here it is: less effective sideways overlap → weaker, more exposed π bond → breaks first, leaving the carbon skeleton intact. Learn that chain and this becomes a full-mark answer.

A predictable weekly rhythm over 12 weeks

One quiz per week across the 12 quizzes, so the SAQ Bank runs as a 12-week programme. Submit anywhere from Monday to Friday, marking happens over the weekend, and you receive your feedback by the following Monday.

The rhythm is the same every week so you always know when to expect a return.

Mon
Submit
Tue
Submit
Wed
Submit
Thu
Submit
Fri
Submit
Sat
Marking
Sun
Marking
Mon
Returned

One attempt per quiz, one quiz submitted per week. Because the same spec points reappear across the 12 quizzes, your scores over the programme show real improvement – not repeat-attempt inflation.

The weekly cap also keeps the marking load manageable so your feedback stays thorough and detailed.

12 quizzes, 332 marks of written practice

The SAQ Bank holds 170 questions and 332 marks between its 12 quizzes. Quizzes run to 27–30 marks and between 11 and 17 questions depending on how the marks fall, with the parts of each multi-part question kept together in the same quiz.

Every question is original, written at real Edexcel A level exam difficulty, across Topic 6C.

Topic 6C: Alkenes

12 quizzes · 332 marks
SAQ A
30
marks · 15 questions
SAQ B
28
marks · 16 questions
SAQ C
29
marks · 17 questions
SAQ D
27
marks · 11 questions
SAQ E
27
marks · 13 questions
SAQ F
27
marks · 13 questions
SAQ G
28
marks · 12 questions
SAQ H
28
marks · 14 questions
SAQ I
27
marks · 17 questions
SAQ J
27
marks · 15 questions
SAQ K
27
marks · 14 questions
SAQ L
27
marks · 13 questions
332 total marks170 questions1 quiz per week, over 12 weeksReturned the following Monday

What the written questions ask you to do

The bank is not all prose. Alongside written explanations you are asked to draw structures and mechanisms and to work through calculations, all marked by a specialist chemistry teacher, assisted by KASP, against the same mark scheme.

Question styleQuestionsWhat it asks for
Written answer91Explanations, descriptions, equations and definitions, marked against the exam mark scheme point by point.
Drawing62Structural and displayed formulae, skeletal structures and mechanism steps, drawn on screen and marked by your teacher, assisted by KASP.
Calculation15Quantitative work shown in full, so method marks can be awarded even when the final answer is wrong.
Graph2Plotting points, drawing a line of best fit and reading values off it, marked against the same tolerance an examiner would apply.
Total170
At a glance

What you get with the SAQ Bank

332 marks across 12 quizzes

Twelve quizzes, SAQ A through SAQ L, holding 170 questions between them at 27–30 marks per quiz.

Marked by a teacher, assisted by KASP

KASP drafts the marking; your teacher reads your answer end to end, decides every mark and writes the comments.

Per-mark feedback

Every mark in the scheme is checked off explicitly. You see exactly which marks you earned and what wording the missed ones needed.

Predictable weekly turnaround

Submit by Friday, marked over the weekend, feedback returned by Monday. One quiz per week; one attempt per quiz; 12 weeks end to end.

Exam-board wording focus

Feedback teaches the precise language the Edexcel mark scheme rewards, so the next time the topic appears you write to score.

Feeds your KASP dashboard

Every SAQ is spec-point tagged. Once marked, your scores flow into KASP Analytics alongside your MCQ results.

5.0

2 reviews

Every one from a verified owner of this course.

2 reviews for Alkenes – Topic 6C

  1. David Jones (verified owner) –

    The T6C Alkenes course really helped improve my understanding of the topic. The explanations go into detail and break the content down clearly, which made some of the harder ideas much easier to understand. I liked the way the lessons and resources work through the topic step by step, and the videos explain everything clearly so it’s easy to follow. Overall it really helped improve my understanding of Alkenes.

  2. maryam (verified owner) –

    This Alkenes course made the topic much easier to understand. The videos explain everything step-by-step and go through the details properly, which helped me follow the reactions and mechanisms a lot better. I also liked how the lessons connect everything together instead of just giving information, so the whole topic makes more sense when revising. It really helped improve my understanding of Alkenes and made the topic feel much clearer.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

28 of 29 spec points. Assessed.

Edexcel A Level Chemistry, Topic 6C: Alkenes.

Not yet assessed by the question bank: 6C.23 (Heterolytic fission).

  • 6C.18General formula of alkenes
  • 6C.19Unsaturated hydrocarbons
  • 6C.20σ and π bonds
  • 6C.21Electrophiles
  • 6C.22Addition reactions
  • 6C.24Electrophilic addition mechanism
  • 6C.25The bromine water test
  • 6C.26Addition polymerisation
  • 6C.27Polymer waste
  • 6C.28Sustainable use of materials
  • 6C.29Limiting polymer disposal problems

The whole of Topic 6C, for £9.70.

144 minutes of video, 90 MCQs, 332 SAQ marks marked by a teacher, assisted by KASP.

Add to basket
Every spec point, in full
Exam Board Alignment

Alkenes Topic 6C Edexcel A Level Chemistry

This course covers the following Edexcel A Level Chemistry specification points:

18
know the general formula for alkenes
19
know that alkenes and cycloalkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons
20
understand the bonding in alkenes in terms of σ- and π-bonds
21
know what is meant by the term electrophile
22
understand the addition reactions of alkenes with:
ihydrogen, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, to form an alkane
iihalogens to produce dihalogenoalkanes
iiihydrogen halides to produce halogenoalkanes
ivsteam, in the presence of an acid catalyst, to produce alcohols
vpotassium manganate(VII), in acid conditions, to oxidise the double bond and produce a diol
Knowledge of the application of catalytic hydrogenation to the manufacture of margarine from unsaturated vegetable oils is expected.
23
understand that heterolytic bond fission of a covalent bond results in the formation of ions
24
understand the mechanism of the electrophilic addition reactions between alkenes and:
ihalogens
iihydrogen halides, including addition to unsymmetrical alkenes
iiiother given binary compounds
Use of the curly arrow notation is expected. Curly arrows should start from either a bond or from a lone pair of electrons. Knowledge of the relative stability of primary, secondary and tertiary carbocation intermediates is expected.
25
know the qualitative test for a C=C double bond using bromine or bromine water
26
know that alkenes form polymers through addition polymerisation
Be able to identify the repeat unit of an addition polymer given the monomer, and vice versa.
27
know that waste polymers can be separated into specific types of polymer for:
irecycling
iiincineration to release energy
iiiuse as a feedstock for cracking
28
understand, in terms of the use of energy and resources over the life cycle of polymer products, that chemists can contribute to the more sustainable use of materials
29
understand how chemists limit the problems caused by polymer disposal by:
ideveloping biodegradable polymers
iiremoving toxic waste gases caused by incineration of plastics

Complete Topic Package

Learn the content, practise exam questions, and identify exactly where marks are being lost.

This course combines guided video teaching, diagnostic MCQs, teacher-marked written assessment, and detailed specification reporting for Edexcel A Level Chemistry.

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