AS Starters and Revision
Read our general notes on Risk Assessment
For a practical I have to do I am given a organic compound and I have to find whether it's an alcohol, alkene or alkane.
This should not be too difficult: most A-level texts will include appropriate tests. Do a risk assessment and check with your teacher before starting any practical work.
If I were given this task I would start by reminding myself that alkenes decolorise bromine solution, and that alcohols effervesce when a small piece of sodium is added. Alcohols also react vigorously with PCl5.There are no simple positive tests for alkanes. They burn (but so do alcohols and alkenes) but do not react with common aqueous reagents.
Jenkin
Risk assessment
Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropriate control measures to reduce the risks. You must have these approved by those in authority in your school or college laboratory. Do not rely on what is said on this website.
For further guidance see our tutorial on Risk Assessment.
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updated: 21 November 2003
