Question 1: Alcohols are organic compounds containing a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group attached to a carbon atom. They are widely used in industry and daily life, such as in fuels, solvents, and beverages.

Answer: Alcohols are organic compounds with a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to a carbon atom.

Question 1: Describe the process by which alkenes react with water in the presence of an acid catalyst to form alcohols.

Answer: Alkenes react with water in the presence of an acid catalyst (like sulfuric acid) through electrophilic addition, where the water adds across the carbon-carbon double bond, forming an alcohol.

Question 1: What is the main difference between the oxidation of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols?

Answer: Primary alcohols oxidise to aldehydes and then carboxylic acids, secondary alcohols oxidise to ketones, and tertiary alcohols do not oxidise easily due to lack of a hydrogen atom on the carbon with the hydroxyl group.

Question 1: Identify two safety precautions that should be taken when working with ethanol in a laboratory setting.

Answer: Wear safety goggles and work in a well-ventilated area to prevent inhalation and fire hazards.

Question 1: A sample of an unknown alcohol is oxidised using potassium dichromate. The solution changes from orange to green. What type of alcohol was in the sample?

Answer: It was a primary or secondary alcohol, as the oxidation caused the colour change from orange to green.

Question 1: Calculate the number of moles of dichromate used in the reaction.

Answer: Number of moles = concentration × volume = 0.02 mol/dm³ × 0.015 dm³ = 3.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol

Question 1: Name one common use of ethanol in everyday life and explain its importance.

Answer: Ethanol is used as a recreational alcohol in beverages, and also as a fuel additive to improve combustion and reduce emissions.

Question 1: Describe the process of synthesising ethanol from ethene, including the conditions required and the type of reaction involved. Discuss the industrial significance of this process.

Answer: Ethanol can be synthesised from ethene via the hydration of ethene in the presence of a catalyst such as phosphoric acid at high temperature and pressure. This electrophilic addition reaction involves the addition of water across the double bond, forming ethanol. This process is significant industrially because it provides a large-scale method for producing ethanol used in fuels, solvents, and beverages.