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AQA A-level Chemistry — Organic Chemistry 2 flashcards

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A-level organic chemistry for AQA 7405: optical isomerism, carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids and acylation, benzene, amines, condensation polymers, amino acids and DNA, synthesis, NMR and chromatography.

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Learn deck · part of AQA A-level Chemistry · written against: AQA AS and A-level Chemistry (7404/7405) specification, version 1.2, July 2026 (physical, inorganic and organic). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. What makes a carbon atom a chiral centre?
    It is bonded to four different atoms or groups.

    Such a molecule and its mirror image cannot be superimposed, so it exists as two optical isomers.
    Organic Chemistry › Optical Isomerism
  2. How do a pair of enantiomers differ in their physical behaviour?
    They rotate plane-polarised light by the same angle in opposite directions.

    Their other physical properties, such as boiling point, are identical.
    Organic Chemistry › Optical Isomerism
  3. Which of butan-1-ol and butan-2-ol shows optical isomerism, and why?
    Butan-2-ol: its carbon 2 carries H, OH, CH₃ and C₂H₅, four different groups.

    Every carbon in butan-1-ol carries at least two identical groups (two hydrogens, or three on the end carbon).
    Organic Chemistry › Optical Isomerism
  4. What is a racemic mixture, and why is it optically inactive?
    An equal mixture of two enantiomers; their rotations of plane-polarised light cancel out.

    Reactions that pass through a planar intermediate, attacked equally from both faces, typically give a racemate.
    Organic Chemistry › Optical Isomerism
  5. Where is the chiral centre in 2-hydroxypropanoic acid, CH₃CH(OH)COOH?
    Carbon 2, which carries H, OH, CH₃ and COOH.

    The molecule (lactic acid) therefore exists as two enantiomers.
    Organic Chemistry › Optical Isomerism
  6. What do aldehydes and ketones form when reduced by NaBH₄ in aqueous solution?
    Aldehydes give primary alcohols; ketones give secondary alcohols.

    Example: CH₃COCH₃ + 2 [H] → CH₃CH(OH)CH₃, using [H] for the reducing agent.
    Organic Chemistry › Aldehydes and Ketones
  7. Describe the mechanism when NaBH₄ reduces ethanal.
    Nucleophilic addition: the H⁻ ion attacks the δ+ carbonyl carbon, the C=O electrons move onto oxygen, and the O⁻ then takes H⁺ from water.

    The product is ethanol; the carbonyl carbon is δ+ because oxygen is more electronegative.
    Organic Chemistry › Aldehydes and Ketones
  8. What is formed when ethanal reacts with KCN followed by dilute acid?
    2-hydroxypropanenitrile, CH₃CH(OH)CN

    The overall reaction is CH₃CHO + HCN → CH₃CH(OH)CN; the chain gains one carbon.
    Organic Chemistry › Aldehydes and Ketones
  9. Describe the curly arrows when cyanide ions attack propanone.
    An arrow from the lone pair on the carbon of CN⁻ to the δ+ carbonyl carbon, and one from the C=O bond onto the oxygen; the O⁻ then takes H⁺ from the acid.

    This nucleophilic addition gives 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanenitrile.
    Organic Chemistry › Aldehydes and Ketones
  10. Why does ethanal with KCN and dilute acid give an optically inactive product, even though the product has a chiral centre?
    The C=O group is planar, so CN⁻ attacks equally from either side, giving a racemic mixture.

    Equal amounts of the two enantiomers cancel each other's rotation.
    Organic Chemistry › Aldehydes and Ketones

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the AQA AS and A-level Chemistry (7404/7405) specification, version 1.2 (July 2026) (outline only; no specification text reproduced).
  • OpenStax Chemistry 2e and OpenStax Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition, consulted as references; no text copied.
  • Also checked against the AQA Chemistry data booklet (June 2025), PubChem compound records and chemguide.co.uk (reference only; no text copied).

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