3.3.1
Introduction to Organic Chemistry
AQA 3.3.1 covers the formulas used to represent organic compounds, homologous series and functional groups, the IUPAC rules for naming chains and rings of up to six carbon atoms, the curly-arrow and free-radical conventions used in mechanisms, and structural isomerism. E-Z stereoisomerism is revised with the alkenes in 3.3.4.
Revision Notes
Work through each part of AQA 3.3.1 in a structured sequence.
Rules
IUPAC Rules
Formulae, homologous series and the IUPAC rules for naming chains, rings and functional groups.
Start revisingAlkene
Naming alkenes with the -ene suffix, locants for the double bond and E-Z prefixes.
Start revisingAlcohol
Naming alcohols with the -ol suffix and locating the hydroxyl group.
Start revisingalkanes
Halogenoalkanes
Naming compounds with fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo prefixes in alphabetical order.
Start revisingAldehyde
Naming aldehydes with the -al suffix and recognising the terminal carbonyl group.
Start revisingKetone
Naming ketones with the -one suffix and locating the carbonyl group in the chain.
Start revisingAcids
Carboxylic Acid
Naming carboxylic acids with the -oic acid suffix and their high priority in naming.
Start revisingEster
Naming esters from the alcohol and acid parts, and drawing their structures.
Start revisingIsomerism
Chain, position and functional group isomerism, and drawing isomers from a molecular formula.
Start revisingArrows
Curly Arrows and Mechanisms
What a curly arrow means, the three places it can start, dipoles, and how to outline a mechanism (3.3.1.2).
Start revising3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry – AQA A Level Chemistry
The following AQA specification points outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate for Introduction to Organic Chemistry.
3.3.1 Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Organic compounds can be represented by empirical, molecular, general, structural, displayed and skeletal formulas.
The characteristics of a homologous series, a series of compounds containing the same functional group.
IUPAC rules for nomenclature.
Students should be able to:
Reactions of organic compounds can be explained using mechanisms.
Free-radical mechanisms: the unpaired electron in a radical is represented by a dot; the use of curly arrows is not required for radical mechanisms.
Other mechanisms: the formation of a covalent bond is shown by a curly arrow that starts from a lone electron pair or from another covalent bond; the breaking of a covalent bond is shown by a curly arrow starting from the bond.
Students should be able to:
Structural isomerism.
Stereoisomerism, E-Z isomerism and the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules are covered with the alkenes in 3.3.4.
Students should be able to:
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