GCSE Chemistry - Chemistry - Key Stage 4

Organic chemistry

Properties and combustion of alcohols

Dr Patel
Key equipment slide

In today’s lesson you will need:

● A pen
● A pencil
● A ruler
● A calculator
● A periodic table
Source of image: Oak

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 Source of image: Oak

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Agenda

Properties of alcohols

Identifying variables

Explaining method steps used to investigate the combustion of alcohols

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Properties of alcohols
 Solubility and pH

● Dissolves in water

● pH 7 - neutral solution

Image: by Dr Patel

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 Reaction with metals

Na
Fizzing = hydrogen produced

Salt produced (sodium ethoxide)

Ethanol Slower reaction compared to metal

Na and water

Image: by Dr Patel

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 Flammability

● Highly flammable

● Burns with a blue flame in excess

oxygen

Image: by Dr Patel

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What is the name of the indicator used to test for pH?

Universal indicator
What gas is produced when a metal reacts with
alcohol?

Hydrogen
True or false: Alcohols are insoluble in water.

True False
True or false: Universal indicator turns red when it is added to
an alcohol.

True False
True or false: Alcohols are highly flammable and burn with a
yellow flame in the presence of lots of oxygen.

True False
True or false: Alcohols are less reactive with group 1 metals than
water.

True False
 Pause the video to
Independent task
complete your task
Property Test Observation
Solubility Does the alcohol dissolve when
added to water?

pH What is the pH of the alcohols

when tested with universal
indicator?
Reaction with sodium Reaction with sodium metal
Flammability Did the alcohol set alight easily
when a lit splint was held near it

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 Pause the video to
Independent task
complete your task
Property Test Observation
Solubility Does the alcohol dissolve when Alcohol dissolves in the
added to water? water

pH What is the pH of the alcohols Green/ pH7

when tested with universal
indicator?
Reaction with sodium Reaction with sodium metal
Flammability Did the alcohol set alight easily
when a lit splint was held near it
Easy to light, burns with a
clean blue flame
Little fizzing, hydrogen
produced – reacts with
sodium

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Combustion of alcohols
 Combustion - Exothermic reaction
Alcohol + oxygen → carbon dioxide and water

● Products have less energy than the

reactants
2C2H5OH + 7O2
Energy

4CO2 + 6H2O

Reaction progress

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 Investigating energy released

● Independent variable - CHANGE

● Dependent variable - MEASURE & RECORD

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

Methanol Methanol Ethanol Propanol Butanol

Image: by Dr Patel

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 Investigating energy released

1. Measure mass
of spirit burner
at the start. Methanol

Image: by Dr Patel

Image: Wikimedia commons, Stan Zurek, Waga

elektroniczna

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 Investigating energy released

2. Heat until you get a predefined

temperature rise (e.g. 10 oC).

Methanol
Methanol

Image: by Dr Patel

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 Investigating energy released

3. Measure mass
of spirit burner at
the end. Methanol

Image: by Dr Patel

Image: Wikimedia commons, Stan Zurek, Waga

elektroniczna

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 Repeat with other alcohols!
● Independent variable - CHANGE
Length of carbon chain in alcohol

Dependent variable - MEASURE and RECORD

Change in mass of alcohol

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

Same temperature rise, same volume of water, same distance
between spirit burner and beaker

Ethanol Methanol Propanol Butanol

Image: by Dr Patel

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True or false: The independent variable is the one this you
measure.

True False
True or false: The dependent variable is the one this you keep
the same.

True False
True or false: You can only have one independent variable.

True False
True or false: Control variables are what you keep the same.

True False
True or false: The independent variable was the mass of alcohol.
● Independent variable - CHANGE

● Dependent variable - MEASURE & RECORD

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

True False
True or false: The dependent variable was the temperature.
● Independent variable - CHANGE

● Dependent variable - MEASURE & RECORD

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

True False
True or false: One control variable was temperature.
● Independent variable - CHANGE

● Dependent variable - MEASURE & RECORD

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

True False
True or false: One control variable was the amount of water.
● Independent variable - CHANGE

● Dependent variable - MEASURE & RECORD

● Control variable - KEEP THE SAME

True False
 Pause the video to
Independent task
complete your task
Method step Reason
Use a measuring cylinder to measure out
100cm³ cold water into the conical flask.

Take the starting temperature of the water.

Measure the mass of the spirit burner with

methanol in, including the cap.

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 Review
Method step Reason
Use a measuring cylinder to measure out So same volume of water is used each time
100cm³ cold water into the conical flask. with approx. same starting temperature.

Take the starting temperature of the water. To be able to monitor the temperature
increase.
Measure the mass of the spirit burner with Starting mass of alcohol needed.
methanol in, including the cap.

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 Pause the video to
Independent task
complete your task

Method step Reason

Place a spirit burner underneath the flask and
light the wick.

When the temperature has increased by 10°C,

extinguish the burner using the cap.

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 Independent task

Method step Reason

Place a spirit burner underneath the flask and To combust the alcohol to release energy.
light the wick.

When the temperature has increased by 10°C, So the same temperature increase is used
extinguish the burner using the cap. for each experiment.

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 Pause the video to
Independent task
complete your task

Method step Reason

Reweigh the spirit burner and calculate the
mass lost.

Repeat all steps using a different alcohol in the

burner.

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 Independent task

Method step Reason

Reweigh the spirit burner and calculate the Allows the calculation of temperature gain
mass lost. per gram to be calculated.

Repeat all steps using a different alcohol in the To compare the energy released by
burner. different alcohols (it is the independent
variable).

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 Independent task

Describe the results:

As the number of carbon atoms
__________, the temperature
rise per gram _________. This
shows the alcohols with
_______ energy releases
________ energy.

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 Review

Describe the results:

As the number of carbon atoms
increases, the temperature rise
per gram increases. This shows
the alcohols with more energy
releases more energy.

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Review

Properties of alcohols

Identifying variables

Explaining method steps used to investigate the combustion of alcohols

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