12 Alkanes

AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

1 Amended from AQA Chemistry Unit 1 Foundation Chemistry CHEM1 January

2009 (Question 6)
Petrol contains saturated hydrocarbons. Some of the molecules in petrol have
the molecular formula C8H18 and are referred to as octanes. These octanes can
be obtained from crude oil by fractional distillation and by cracking suitable
heavier fractions.
Petrol burns completely in a plentiful supply of air but can undergo incomplete
combustion in a car engine.
a State the meaning of both the words saturated and hydrocarbon as applied
to the term saturated hydrocarbon.
Name the homologous series to which C8H18 belongs.

(3 marks)

b Outline the essential features of the fractional distillation of crude oil that
enable the crude oil to be separated into fractions.

(4 marks)

c Write an equation for the incomplete combustion of C8H18 to form carbon monoxide
and water only.
A catalytic converter is used to remove carbon monoxide from the exhaust gases in
a car. Identify a catalyst used in the catalytic converter.
Write an equation to show how carbon monoxide is removed in a catalytic converter.
State why the water produced in the exhaust gases may contribute to global warming.

(4 marks)

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

2 From AQA Chemistry Unit 1 Foundation Chemistry CHEM1 June 2012 (Question
2)
Compound X is shown below. It is a member of a homologous series of
hydrocarbons.

a i Deduce the general formula of the homologous series that contains X.

(1 mark)

ii Name a process used to obtain a sample of X from a mixture containing

other members of the same homologous series.

(1 mark)

b There are several isomers of X.

i Give the IUPAC name of the position isomer of X.

(1 mark)

ii Draw the structure of a functional group isomer of X.

(1 mark)
c At high temperatures, one molecule of C15H32 can be converted into two molecules
of X and one molecule of another compound. The equation for this reaction is
C15H32 → 2C4H8 + C7H16
i State the name of the process used to obtain a high yield of X from C15H32
Give one reason why this process is used in industry.

Name

Reason

(2 mark)
ii State why high temperatures are needed for this process.

(1 mark)

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

d Compound X can be converted into compound Y.

Compound Y is shown below.

i Suggest the formula of a reagent that could be added to X in order to

convert it into Y.

(1 mark)

ii Give one use of Y.

(1 mark)

iii Write an equation to show the reaction of Y in a limited supply of air to

produce a solid and water only.

(1 mark)

iv When a sample of Y, contaminated with CH3SH, is burnt completely in air, a

toxic gas is formed.
Identify this toxic gas and suggest a compound that could be used to remove
the toxic gas from the products of combustion.

Toxic gas

Compound used to remove toxic gas

(2 mark)
v Suggest the name of the process that occurs when the toxic gas in part
d iv is removed.

(1 mark)

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

3 From AQA Chemistry Unit 1 Foundation Chemistry CHEM1 June 2010 (Question
5)
The alkane butane is used as a fuel.
a i Write an equation for the complete combustion of butane.

(1 mark)

ii State a condition which may cause carbon to be formed as a product in

the combustion of butane.

(1 mark)

b Butane obtained from crude oil may contain trace amounts of an impurity.
When this impurity burns it produces a toxic gas that can be removed by
reacting it with calcium oxide coated on a mesh.
i Suggest the identity of the toxic gas.

(1 mark)

ii Suggest why calcium oxide reacts with the toxic gas.

(1 mark)

iii Suggest why the calcium oxide is coated on a mesh.

(1 mark)

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

4 From AQA Chemistry Unit 1 Foundation Chemistry CHEM1 specimen paper

a Hexane (C6H14) is a hydrocarbon which is a component of LPG (liquid
petroleum gas), used as a fuel for heating. When burning fuels in boilers it is
important to ensure complete combustion.
i Give two reasons why boilers are designed to ensure complete combustion.

Reason 1

Reason 2

(2 marks)

ii Write an equation for the incomplete combustion of hexane to produce

only gaseous products.

(1 mark)

iii Suggest how an engineer or a chemist could demonstrate that the

combustion of hexane in a faulty boiler was incomplete.

(1 mark)

b Branched chain alkanes are often preferred as fuels. Draw the structure of
two branched chain isomers of hexane and name the first isomer.
Isomer 1 Isomer 2

Name of isomer 1 (3 mark)

c Hexane can be cracked in the presence of a catalyst to produce another
hydrocarbon, Z, and methane.
i Draw a possible structure for Z.

ii Give a suitable catalyst for this reaction.

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

iii Suggest why the product Z has more commercial value than hexane.

(3 marks)

d The overall equation for the production of dichloromethane from methane

and chlorine is shown below.
CH4 + 2Cl2 → CH2Cl2 + 2HCl
i Calculate the % atom economy for the formation of CH2Cl2 in this reaction.

(2 marks)

ii Give one reason why this atom economy of less than 100% is an important
consideration for the commercial success of this process and predict how a
chemical company would maximise profits from this process.

(1 mark)

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 12 Alkanes
AQA Chemistry Exam-style questions

5 Adapted from AQA Chemistry Unit 3 Introduction to Organic Chemistry CHM3

June 2006 (Question 3)
The reaction of bromine with ethane is similar to that of chlorine with ethane.
Three steps in the bromination of ethane are shown below.
Step 1 Br2 → 2Br•
Step 2 Br• + CH3CH3 → CH3CH2• + HBr
Step 3 CH3CH2• + Br2 → CH3CH2Br + Br•
a i Name this type of mechanism.

ii Suggest an essential condition for this reaction.

iii Steps 2 and 3 are of the same type. Name this type of step.

iv In this mechanism, another type of step occurs in which free-radicals

combine. Name this type of step. Write an equation to illustrate this step.

Type of step

Equation
(5 marks)
b Further substitution in the reaction of bromine with ethane produces a
mixture of liquid organic compounds.
i Name a technique which could be used to separate the different
compounds in this mixture.

ii Write an equation for the reaction between bromine and ethane which
produces hexabromoethane, C2Br6, by this substitution reaction.

(2 marks)
c Suggest what effect increasing the intensity of the ultraviolet light would have on
the rate of the reaction between methane and chlorine. Explain your answer.

Effect on rate

Explanation
(2 marks)

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