AQA A Level Chemistry

Topic Questions

7.2 Aldehydes & Ketones (A-level only)

11 mark

Primary alcohols can be oxidised to aldehydes.

Which statement shows the correct reagents and observations for this reaction?

     

Reagent

Observation

   A  

Acidified silver nitrate solution

White precipitate forms

B

Fehling’s solution

Brick-red precipitate forms

C

Tollens’ reagent

Silver mirror forms

D

Acidified potassium dichromate

Colour change from orange to green

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21 mark

Aldehydes can undergo oxidation reactions to form carboxylic acids.

Which equation shows the correct oxidation of an aldehyde to its corresponding carboxylic acid?

  • CH3CH2OH + [O] → CH3COOH + H2 

  • CH3CHO + [O] → CH3CHCOOH

  • CH3CH2CHO + [O] → CH3CH2COOH

  • CH3COCH3 + [O] → CH3CH2COOH

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31 mark

Ketones can be reduced to secondary alcohols.

Which reagents and conditions are required to reduce a ketone to a secondary alcohol?

  • Reflux with acidified potassium dichromate solution

  • Heat with aqueous sodium tetrahydridoborate 

  • Hydrogen gas at 60 oC with a nickel catalyst

  • Reflux with concentrated hydrochloric acid and a tin catalyst

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41 mark

Aldehydes and ketones can both react with HCN to form hydroxy nitrile compounds.

Which is the correct mechanism for this reaction?

  • Electrophilic addition

  • Electrophilic substitution

  • Nucleophilic addition

  • Nucleophilic substitution

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51 mark

How many structural isomers with the molecular formula C4H8O react with Fehling’s solution?

  • 1

  • 2

  • 3

  • 4

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11 mark

Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate(III), LiAlH4, in an organic solvent behaves in a similar way to sodium tetrahydridoborate, NaBH4, in an aqueous solution. If LiAlH4 reacts with a carbonyl compound, which of the following could not be formed?

  • 3,4-dimethylhexan-2-ol

  • 3,3-dimethylhexan-1-ol

  • 2,3-dimethylhexan-2-ol

  • 2,2-dimethylhexan-3-ol

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21 mark

A carbonyl compound reacted with potassium cyanide followed by dilute acid. The product had no effect on plane polarised light.

Which of the following could not have been the carbonyl compound?

7-2-h-q2-aqa-al-chemistry-mcq

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31 mark

Citronellal is an aldehyde that is used as an insect repellent with a characteristic lemon scent. Heptan-2-one is a ketone that gives blue cheese its distinctive aroma.

When the following tests are carried out on these compounds, which row best describes what would be noticed about these smells?

 

Test

Citronellal

Heptan-2-one

A

Acidified potassium dichromate(VI) solution and heat under reflux

Smell disappears

Smell disappears

B

Aqueous sodium tetrahydridoborate(III) and heat under reflux

Smell disappears

Smell remains

C

Potassium cyanide then dilute acid

Smell remains

Smell disappears

D

Tollens’ reagent and gently warmed

Smell disappears

Smell remains

 

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41 mark

A carbonyl compound gave a negative test result with Tollens’ reagent.

Which of the following statements is correct about the carbonyl compound?

  • It would produce a brick-red precipitate when reacted with Fehling’s solution

  • It would be reduced by aqueous sodium tetrahydridoborate(III) to a secondary alcohol

  • When reacted with potassium cyanide followed by dilute acid, the carbonyl would undergo a nucleophilic substitution reaction 

  • It would undergo an oxidation reaction with acidified potassium dichromate(VI) to form a carboxylic acid and the solution would turn green

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51 mark

Carbonyl compounds are reduced when reacted with potassium cyanide followed by dilute acid.

Which pair of statements about the reaction mechanism and product is not correct?

  

Statement 1

Statement 2

  A          

The C=O double bond is polar with the oxygen end slightly negative

The overall charge on a cyanide ion is due to the negatively charged carbon atom

B

The cyanide ion acts as a nucleophile

The C=O double bond breaks by homolytic fission and the oxygen atom gains an electron

C

A hydroxynitrile is formed

This method of organic synthesis may increase the length of the carbon chain

D

The hydrogen ion that reacts with the intermediate comes from the dilute acid

The intermediate donates a pair of electrons to a H+ ion

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11 mark

The colour of warm acidified sodium dichromate(VI) changes from orange to green when added to compound Y. 1 mol of Y reacts with 2 mol of hydrogen cyanide in the presence of potassium cyanide.

What could Y be?

  • H2C=CHCH2CHO

  • CH3CH2CH2CHO

  • HC(O)CH2CH2CHO

  • CH3COCH2COCH3

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21 mark

What is formed when butanone is heated under reflux with a solution of NaBH4?

  • butane

  • butan-1-ol

  • butan-2-ol

  • butanal

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31 mark

Which of the following statements about aldehydes and ketones is not true?

  • Shorter chain aldehydes and ketones mix completely with water 

  • They show strong absorption in infra-red at about 1700 cm-1

  • Typical reactions are nucleophilic additions

  • They are good reducing agents

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41 mark

The mechanism for the reaction between propanone and hydride ions is shown below

7-2-m-q4-aqa-al-chemistry-mcq


The correct row shown is

 

Role of hydride ions

Role of propanone

A

electrophile

nucleophile

B

nucleophile

electrophile

C

oxidising agent

reducing agent

D

Brønsted-Lowry acid

Brønsted-Lowry base

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51 mark

Which carbonyl compound(s) produce(s) a carboxylic acid when they are treated with acidified K2Cr2Oor Tollens’ reagent?

  • CH3CH2CH2CHO and CH3CH2COCH3

  • CH3CH2CH2CHO and CH3CH2CH(OH)CH3

  • CH3COCH3

  • CH3CH2CH2CHO and CH3CH2CHO

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