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Edexcel International A Level Chemistry

Topic 10A
Alcohols

Alcohols carry the –OH group, and everything they do follows from it. These pages name and classify them, explain their hydrogen bonding, take the oxidation of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols step by step, map their other reactions, and finish with the laboratory techniques used to prepare and purify a liquid product.

Exam Unit
Unit 2
WCH12/01 – IAS
Specification Points
10.15 – 10.19
5 points covered
Sub-topics
4 lessons
Revision notes available
Exam Board
Edexcel IAL
Pearson International

Revision Notes

4 revision notes, in the order the specification teaches them.

Primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols side by side
1

Alcohols: Naming, Classification and Properties

Alcohols: nomenclature, structural, displayed and skeletal formulae, primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols, hydrogen bonding, boiling temperatures and solubility.

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An orange solution turning green in a water bath
2

Oxidation of Alcohols

The oxidation of alcohols: acidified dichromate(VI), aldehydes, carboxylic acids and ketones, distillation versus reflux, [O] equations and tests for aldehydes and acids.

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Alcohol vapour passing over hot aluminium oxide
3

Substitution and Elimination Reactions of Alcohols

Reactions of alcohols: combustion, halogenation with PCl₅, KBr and sulfuric acid, and red phosphorus and iodine, and dehydration to alkenes.

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A flask heated under reflux
4

Preparing and Purifying Organic Liquids

Preparing and purifying organic liquids: reflux, distillation, separating funnel, drying agents, boiling temperature and percentage yield.

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Summary Map

Download, print and revise the reactions of this topic at a glance.

Summary maps

Download, print and revise the reactions of this topic at a glance.

Illustration of a summary map: compounds joined by reaction arrows
Summary map · PDF

Alcohols Map

Edexcel International A Level Chemistry · Unit 2 · Topic 10

Every reaction on one A4 page: reagents, conditions and reaction type for each arrow, colour coded, with the key tests.

Download the map6 reactions · A4 portrait · print ready
Illustration of a summary map: compounds joined by reaction arrows
Summary map · PDF

Alcohols Summary Map

Edexcel International A Level Chemistry · Unit 2 · Topic 10C Alcohols

The whole section on one A4 page: names and classes, combustion, halogenoalkanes and alkenes from alcohols, oxidation, and purifying a liquid, with worked examples.

Download the map6 key ideas + a data table · A4 portrait · print ready

© 2026 Online Learning System. For personal study: printing is allowed; editing, copying and redistribution are not.

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MCQ Bank

Multiple-choice papers on this topic, marked the moment you submit.

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SAQ Bank

Written, drawn and worked exam practice on this topic.

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Revision Game

Match reagents to products, free, with your board's reagents and conditions.

Illustration of memory game cards, two turned face up as a matching pairFree

Revision Game: Alcohols

Turn the cards over two at a time: match reagents to what they make, and find how each product is made.

A free memory game on the reactions in this topic, with your board's reagents, conditions and spec points.

  • Two ways to playMatch each set of reagents to what the reaction makes, or see a product and find the reactant and reagents that make it.
  • Drawn the way the exam draws themEvery structure is drawn in ChemDraw, with the reagents and conditions your exam board asks for.
  • It countsRounds earn XP and keep your streak going, and every correct match shows in your KASP analytics, apart from your marks.

Study Cards

Pick a deck, then turn each card to check what you remember.

Specification

Every specification point in this topic, in the exam board's own words. Rate how confident you are with each one.

Official Pearson Edexcel IAL documentsSpecification (opens the Pearson Edexcel IAL website in a new tab)Data booklet (opens the Pearson Edexcel IAL website in a new tab)

Self-assessment · 23 points

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10.15

  1. a

    understand the nomenclature of alcohols

    Revise
  2. b

    be able to draw structural formulae of alcohols

    Revise
  3. c

    be able to draw displayed formulae of alcohols

    Revise
  4. d

    be able to draw skeletal formulae of alcohols

    Revise

10.16

  1. a

    understand the distinction between primary alcohols

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  2. b

    understand the distinction between secondary alcohols

    Revise
  3. c

    understand the distinction between tertiary alcohols

    Revise

10.17

  1. i

    understand the reactions of alcohols with: oxygen in air (combustion)

    Revise
  2. ii a

    understand the reactions of alcohols with PCl5 to produce chloroalkanes

    Revise
  3. ii b

    understand the use of PCl5 as a qualitative test for the presence of the –OH group

    Revise
  4. ii c

    understand the reactions of alcohols with 50% concentrated sulfuric acid and potassium bromide to produce bromoalkanes

    Revise
  5. ii d

    understand the reactions of alcohols with red phosphorus and iodine to produce iodoalkanes

    Revise
  6. iii a

    understand the reactions of alcohols with concentrated phosphoric acid to form alkenes by elimination

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  7. iii b

    know that descriptions of the mechanisms of alcohol elimination reactions are not required

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10.18

  1. i

    understand that potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid can oxidise: primary alcohols to produce aldehydes (which give a positive result with Benedict’s or Fehling’s solution) if the product is distilled as it forms

    Revise
  2. ii

    understand that potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid can oxidise: primary alcohols to produce carboxylic acids (which give a positive result with sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogencarbonate) if the reagents are heated under reflux

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  3. iii a

    understand that potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid can oxidise secondary alcohols to ketones

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  4. iii b

    know that in equations, the oxidising agent can be represented by [O]

    Revise

10.19

  1. i

    understand, the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound: heating under reflux

    Revise
  2. ii

    understand, the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound: extraction with a solvent using a separating funnel

    Revise
  3. iii

    understand, the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound: distillation

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  4. iv

    understand, the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound: drying with an anhydrous salt

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  5. v

    understand, the following techniques in the preparation and purification of a liquid organic compound: boiling temperature determination

    Revise