A LevelChemistryCIETopic Questions19. Nitrogen Compounds19.2 Nitriles & Hydroxynitriles

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

|

Nitriles & Hydroxynitriles (CIE A Level Chemistry)

Topic Questions

DownloadView
Easy
Medium
Hard
Easy
Medium
Hard
11 mark

Hydrolysis of CH3CH2CN with dilute HCl produces which compound?

  • CH3COOH

  • CH3CH2CH2NH3

  • CH3CH2COOH

  • CH3CH2COH

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

The equation shows a chemical reaction

CH3CH2CHClCH3  +  CN–  rightwards arrow  CH3CH2CH(CH3)CN  +  Cl–

What is the name for this type of reaction?

  • Nucleophilic substitution

  • Electrophilic substitution

  • Free radical substitution

  • Nucleophilic addition

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

31 mark

What are the reagents needed in the reaction of 1-bromopropane to butanenitrile?

  • KCN

  • Ethanol and heat

  • KCN, ethanol and heat

  • KCN and ethanol

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

41 mark

What are the products in the reaction of ethanenitrile and hydrochloric acid?

  • Propanoic acid and ammonia

  • Propanoic acid and ammonium chloride

  • Ethanoic acid and ammonia

  • Ethanoic acid and ammonium chloride

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

51 mark

What are the products in the reaction of ethanenitrile and sodium hydroxide?

  • Sodium propanoate and ammonia

  • Sodium propanoate ammonium chloride

  • Sodium ethanoate and ammonia

  • Sodium ethanoate and ammonium chloride

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

61 mark

Which one of the following reactants would not produce a nitrile in a one-step reaction?

  • Amides

  • Aldehydes

  • Halogenoalkanes

  • Alkanes

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

11 mark

What is the correct two-step synthesis to produce 2-hydroxybutanenitrile from propan-1-ol?

  • 1) NaCl / H2SO4
    2) NaCN / Ethanol

  • 1) NaCN / Ethanol
    2) NaCl / H2SO4

  • 1) NaCN (aq) / H+ (aq)
    2) K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4 under distillation

  • 1) K2Cr2O7 / H2SO4 under distillation;
    2) NaCN (aq) / H+ (aq)

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

Butanone can undergo addition when mixed with NaCN (aq) / H+ (aq), forming product Z. Product Z can then undergo hydrolysis when heated with dilute HCl, forming product Y.

Which compound is product Y?

  • 2-hydroxypentanoic acid

  • 2-hydroxybutylamine

  • 2-methyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acid

  • 2-ethyl-2-hydroxypropylamine

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

31 mark

A student wanted to produce a hydroxynitrile. Which types of reactions, reactants and reagents are shown in the table would correctly describe this reaction?

 

Type of reaction

Reactants

Reagents

A

Addition

Aldehyde

HCN

B

Hydrolysis

Halogenoalkane

Ethanolic NH3

C

Substitution

Ketone

HCN

D

Addition

Halogenoalkane

KCN, ethanol

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

41 mark

What would X, Y and Z be in the following reaction sequence?

CH subscript 3 CH subscript 2 CH subscript 2 Br space rightwards arrow with KCN space plus space ethanol space plus space heat on top space bold X space plus space KBr space rightwards arrow with NaOH space plus space straight H subscript 2 straight O space plus space heat on top space bold Y space plus space NH subscript 3 space rightwards arrow with dil space HCl on top space bold Z

 

X

Y

Z

A

CH3CH2CH2K

CH3CH2CH2COONa

CH3CH2CH2COOH

B

CH3CH2CH2CN

CH3CH2CH2COONa

CH3CH2CH2COOH

C

CH3CH2CH2K

CH3CH2CH2COOH

CH3CH2CH2COONa

D

CH3CH2CH2CN

CH3CH2CH2COOH

CH3CH2CH2COONa

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

11 mark

Which of the following reactions would produce 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanenitrile?

  • Ethanal + Sulphuric acid

  • Propanone + Hydrogen cyanide

  • Ethanal + Ammonia

  • Propanone + Ammonia

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

21 mark

Reactions were carried out to produce nitriles. Which combination of reactants and reagents is not correct?

 

Reactant

Reagent

A

Halogenoalkane

Potassium cyanide and ethanol

B

Amide

Phosphorus (V) oxide

C

Aldehyde

Hydrogen cyanide

D

Ketone

Ammonia

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

31 mark

The following equations show reactions with nitrogen compounds. Which one correctly shows the hydrolysis of nitriles with dilute acid?

  • CH3CN + HCl + 2H2O  rightwards arrow  CH3COOH + NH3Cl

  • CH3CN + HCl + 2H2O  rightwards arrow  CH3COOH + NH4Cl

  • CH3CN + HCl + H2O    rightwards arrow  CH3COOH + NH4Cl

  • CH3CN + HCl + 2H2O  rightwards arrow  CH3COOHCl + NH3

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?

41 mark

The following equations show reactions with nitrogen compounds. Which one correctly shows the hydrolysis of nitriles with dilute sodium hydroxide?

  • CH3CN +  NaOH +  H2O   rightwards arrow CH3COONa +  NH3

  • CH3CN +  NaOH +  2H2O rightwards arrow CH3COONa +  NH3

  • CH3CN +  NaOH +  H2O   rightwards arrow CH3COONa +  NH4

  • CH3CN +  NaOH +  2H2O rightwards arrow CH3COONa +  NH4

Choose your answer

Did this page help you?