Organic chemistry
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Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Chemistry of carbon, where they explored carbon's unique bonding properties and its role in forming complex molecules. It deepens their understanding by focusing on Organic chemistry, examining carbon-based compounds and their reactions. As the final unit in the big question, What are things made of?, it reinforces pupils’ understanding of how carbon forms the foundation of organic molecules, linking the study of matter to the structure and behaviour of the compounds that make up living organisms and materials.
Prior knowledge requirements
- In a chemical reaction, atoms rearrange themselves to form new substances.
- Water is often formed in chemical reactions if oxygen and hydrogen atoms are present.
- Carbon dioxide is often formed in chemical reactions if oxygen and carbon atoms are present.
- Chemical formulae represent the numbers of each type of atoms in a reactant or product.
- The displayed formula for a molecule shows all the atoms, with all the bonds between them.
- The general formula for an alkane is CnH2n+2; the general formula for alkenes is CnH2n.
- Alkanes can be burnt for heating and produce carbon dioxide and water.
- Smaller hydrocarbon molecules have lower boiling points and evaporate more easily making them more flammable.
- Smaller hydrocarbon molecules with double bonds are very reactive and useful for making other products like polymers.
- Bromine water changes from orange/brown to colourless in the presence of an alkene.
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Chemistry of carbon, where they explored carbon's unique bonding properties and its role in forming complex molecules. It deepens their understanding by focusing on Organic chemistry, examining carbon-based compounds and their reactions. As the final unit in the big question, What are things made of?, it reinforces pupils’ understanding of how carbon forms the foundation of organic molecules, linking the study of matter to the structure and behaviour of the compounds that make up living organisms and materials.
Prior knowledge requirements
- In a chemical reaction, atoms rearrange themselves to form new substances.
- Water is often formed in chemical reactions if oxygen and hydrogen atoms are present.
- Carbon dioxide is often formed in chemical reactions if oxygen and carbon atoms are present.
- Chemical formulae represent the numbers of each type of atoms in a reactant or product.
- The displayed formula for a molecule shows all the atoms, with all the bonds between them.
- The general formula for an alkane is CnH2n+2; the general formula for alkenes is CnH2n.
- Alkanes can be burnt for heating and produce carbon dioxide and water.
- Smaller hydrocarbon molecules have lower boiling points and evaporate more easily making them more flammable.
- Smaller hydrocarbon molecules with double bonds are very reactive and useful for making other products like polymers.
- Bromine water changes from orange/brown to colourless in the presence of an alkene.
Organic chemistry
This unit covers identifying functional groups, naming and drawing structural formulae, and predicting reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids. It explains addition and condensation polymerisation and discusses natural polymers like DNA, sugars, and amino acids.
8 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Organic chemistry unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our AQA secondary chemistry curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for AQA secondary chemistry programmes.