Formulas, Functional Groups and Naming
Organic chemistry begins with recognising carbon-based molecules, naming structures accurately, identifying isomerism and recognising functional groups. These pages separate the core naming rules, isomerism and common functional groups so that students can revise each area clearly before applying them to reactions, mechanisms and synthesis.
Revision Notes
10 revision notes, in the order the specification teaches them.
IUPAC Rules
Revise how to name organic compounds by identifying the longest carbon chain, functional group, substituents and position numbers.
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Alkene
Learn how alkenes are identified by the carbon-carbon double bond and why this functional group leads to addition reactions.
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Alcohol
Revise alcohols as organic compounds containing the hydroxyl group and connect their structure to naming and classification.
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Halogenoalkanes
Review halogenoalkanes as compounds containing a carbon-halogen bond, including how halogen substituents appear in names.
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Aldehyde
Learn how aldehydes contain a terminal carbonyl group and how this affects naming and structural formulae.
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Ketone
Revise ketones as carbonyl compounds where the C=O group is within the carbon chain rather than at the end.
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Carboxylic Acid
Review carboxylic acids as compounds containing the carboxyl group, including the COOH structure and acid naming pattern.
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Ester
Learn how esters are recognised from the COO linkage and how their names are built from the alcohol and carboxylic acid parts.
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Structural Isomerism
Revise how compounds can have the same molecular formula but different arrangements of atoms, including structural and stereoisomerism.
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Functional Groups in the Cambridge Table
Amines, nitriles, amides, acyl chlorides, hydroxynitriles and arenes, plus the six-plus-six rule for naming esters (13.1.3, 13.1.5).
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Summary map
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Introduction to Organic Chemistry Map
Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry · Topic 13
The whole topic on one A4 page: formulae, homologous series and names, structural isomers and stereoisomers, shapes and hybridisation, bond breaking, reaction types and mechanisms, and the Cambridge AS table of functional groups.
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Specification
Every specification point in this topic, in the exam board's own words. Rate how confident you are with each one.
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13.1.1
13.1.2
13.1.3
- 13.1.3
understand that the compounds in the table on pages 29 and 30 contain a functional group which dictates their physical and chemical properties
Revise
13.1.4
- a
interpret and use the general formulas of the classes of compound stated in the table on pages 29 and 30
Revise - b
interpret and use the structural formulas of the classes of compound stated in the table on pages 29 and 30
Revise - c
interpret and use the displayed formulas of the classes of compound stated in the table on pages 29 and 30
Revise - d
interpret and use the skeletal formulas of the classes of compound stated in the table on pages 29 and 30
Revise
13.1.5
- 13.1.5
understand and use systematic nomenclature of simple aliphatic organic molecules with functional groups detailed in the table on pages 29 and 30, up to six carbon atoms (six plus six for esters, straight chains only for esters and nitriles)
Revise
13.1.6
13.2.1
- g i
interpret and use the term oxidation (in equations for organic redox reactions, the symbol [O] can be used to represent one atom of oxygen from an oxidising agent)
Revise - g ii
interpret and use the term reduction (in equations for organic redox reactions, the symbol [H] can be used to represent one atom of hydrogen from a reducing agent)
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13.2.2
- a
understand and use the terminology free-radical substitution associated with types of organic mechanisms
Revise - b
understand and use the terminology electrophilic addition associated with types of organic mechanisms
Revise - c
understand and use the terminology nucleophilic substitution associated with types of organic mechanisms
Revise - d
understand and use the terminology nucleophilic addition associated with types of organic mechanisms (in organic reaction mechanisms, the use of curly arrows to represent movement of electron pairs is expected; the arrow should begin at a bond or a lone pair of electrons)
Revise
13.3.1
13.3.2
- a
describe and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, molecules containing sp hybridised atoms
Revise - b
describe and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, molecules containing sp2 hybridised atoms
Revise - c
describe and explain the shape of, and bond angles in, molecules containing sp3 hybridised atoms
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13.3.3
13.3.4
- 13.3.4
understand and use the term planar when describing the arrangement of atoms in organic molecules, for example ethene
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13.4.1
13.4.2
- b
describe geometrical (cis/trans) isomerism as a division of stereoisomerism (use of E/Z nomenclature is acceptable but is not required)
Revise
13.4.3
- b
explain the origin of geometrical (cis/trans) isomerism in alkenes in terms of restricted rotation due to the presence of π bonds
Revise
13.4.4
13.4.5
- b
identify geometrical (cis/trans) isomerism in a molecule of given structural formula including cyclic compounds
Revise
13.4.6
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