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Edexcel A Level Chemistry

Alcohols

Alcohols carry the –OH group, and everything they do follows from it.

Exam Papers
Paper 2
9CH0/02
Specification Points
6.5 – 6.39
4 points covered
Sub-topics
4 lessons
Revision notes available
Exam Board
Edexcel
Pearson 9CH0

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 A Level Chemistry · Topic 6E Alcohols

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 A Level Chemistry · Topic 6 Organic Chemistry I · 6E 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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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 documentsSpecification (opens the Pearson Edexcel website in a new tab)Data booklet (opens the Pearson Edexcel website in a new tab)

Self-assessment · 20 points

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6

  1. A.5 b

    be able to classify reactions as elimination

    Revise
  2. A.5 d

    be able to classify reactions as oxidation

    Revise
  3. E.37 a

    know that alcohols can be classified as primary

    Revise
  4. E.37 b

    know that alcohols can be classified as secondary

    Revise
  5. E.37 c

    know that alcohols can be classified as tertiary

    Revise
  6. E.38i

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

    Revise
  7. E.38ii a

    understand reactions of alcohols with PCl5 to produce chloroalkanes

    Revise
  8. E.38ii b

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

    Revise
  9. E.38ii c

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

    Revise
  10. E.38iii a

    understand oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes using potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid

    Revise
  11. E.38iii b

    understand oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids using potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid

    Revise
  12. E.38iii c

    understand oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones using potassium dichromate(VI) in dilute sulfuric acid

    Revise
  13. E.38iii d

    know Benedict's/Fehling's solution can be used to test for the aldehyde

    Revise
  14. E.38iii e

    know that [O] can represent the oxidising agent in equations

    Revise
  15. E.38iv

    understand the reactions of alcohols with: concentrated phosphoric acid to form alkenes by elimination Descriptions of the mechanisms of these reactions are not expected.

    Revise
  16. E.39i

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

    Revise
  17. E.39ii

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

    Revise
  18. E.39iii

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

    Revise
  19. E.39iv

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

    Revise
  20. E.39v

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

    Revise