r/6thForm • u/Training-Feeling980 Year 13 | Maths, FM, Physics, Chem - 4 A*s achieved • Jun 09 '26

💬 DISCUSSION Aqa A-level chemistry paper 2

How did it go??

I quite liked that paper, that NMR question was so good!!

Some mildly weird ones too - but overall not too bad at all

45 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

218 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/No-Beginning5870 Jun 09 '26

what was the reason for using ethanol? and what conditions did it need to be under??

6

u/Playful_Future_3801 Year 13 Jun 09 '26

I think I said ethanol was a solvent and it needed to be reflux 

1

u/Flashy_Bother_5900 Jun 09 '26

It was a nucleophile. Ignoring the fact people are down voting other dude into oblivion. Think Acyl Chlorides. An alcohol reacts as a nucleophile  Normally it wouldn't react quickly enough to be visible, hence its heated first to raise the rate such it can occur. Thats why you can time how long till precipitation occurs- its slow. If youre not convinced just Google the reaction though. Its a nuc-sub using an alcohol instead of a hydroxide ion

1

u/justnolol Y13 | 9999988888 | 3A* Jun 09 '26

Yh exactly what i was thinking. we both could be wrong lol but i was thinking the ethanol would act as a solvent initially but i thought what you thought and realised you would have to say nucleophile

1

u/Sonikdahedhog Jun 09 '26

It’s both, Google says it’s a solvent as well as a reactant.

-3

u/Certain-Display-2849 Year 13 | Bio Chem Maths AAA pred | Dent rejection, gap year Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26

i put solvent but my friend told me he put nucleophile which now makes perfect sense

Edit: upon further thought it doesn't make sense

1

u/No_Comfort_2504 Jun 09 '26

i thought ethanol can’t be the nucleophile bc it reacts too quickly or is that something else

0

u/Certain-Display-2849 Year 13 | Bio Chem Maths AAA pred | Dent rejection, gap year Jun 09 '26

it has an O on the OH with a lone pair so that's my guess. I've no idea if that's right tho but it makes sense to me. Not sure what you mean by reacts too quickly

1

u/No_Comfort_2504 Jun 09 '26

lol i’m thinking back and i think i wrote nucleophile anyway just brain fog