AS Level Organic Chemistry for AQA Full Course

AS | Y12 Organic Chemistry

This course introduces organic chemistry at AS Level, providing you with a knowledge and understanding of the important chemical ideas that underpin the study of organic chemistry: nomenclature and formula representation, functional groups, organic reactions. These concepts will be explored through learning about the structures, properties and reactions of alkanes, alkenes, alcohols and haloalkanes.

You will be introduced to the various types of structures used commonly in organic chemistry, nomenclature, and the important concepts of homologous series, functional groups and reaction mechanisms using curly arrows.

Introduction to Organic Chemistry (Video)

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the key terminology in organic chemistry. You will be introduced to all of the homologous series and functional groups that you need to know at AS Level, including their general formulae.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.1.1

Isomerism (Notes only)

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.1.3

Naming Organic Compounds (Video)

In this lesson you will learn the systematic method used by Chemists around the world to name and identify organic compounds.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.1.1

Organic Reaction Mechanism: Basic Principles (Video, Notes & Quiz)

In this lesson, you will be introduced to the basic principles that apply to all organic reaction mechanisms, with a focus on what the curly arrow represents and how to use it correctly across all of the organic mechanisms you may come across in A level Chemistry.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.1.2

Alkanes (Notes & Quiz)

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.2

Radical substitution (Video)

In this lesson, you will learn the details of the reaction of alkanes with chlorine and bromine by radical substitution using ultraviolet radiation, including a mechanism involving homolytic fission and radical reactions in terms of initiation, propagation and termination.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.2.4

Alkenes (Notes & Quiz)

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.4

Electrophilic addition (Video)

In this lesson, you will learn the mechanism of electrophilic addition in alkenes by heterolytic fission, including the use of Markownikoff’s rule to predict formation of a major organic product in addition reactions of H-X to unsymmetrical alkenes.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.4.2

Addition polymerisation (Video & Quiz)

In this lesson, you will learn the definition of polymers, monomers and repeating units, as well as write equations for the addition polymerisation reactions of alkenes and substituted alkenes. You will also learn how to name polymers, draw the structures for sections of a polymer and how to identify monomers from a given section of an polymer.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.4.3

Halogenoalkanes (Notes & Quiz)

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.3

Nucleophilic substitution mechanism (Video)

In this lesson, you will learn the definition of a nucleophile, and the mechanism of nucleophilic substitution in the hydrolysis of primary haloalkanes with aqueous alkali.

AQA Spec Ref: 3.3.3.1