AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 · Topic 16

Hydroxy compounds: past paper questions

48 real questionsasked in 2 of the last 10 exam series2022–2025usually: Suggest, Draw, Explain

Real questions on hydroxy compounds

The newest 3 of 3 written questions, plus 45 multiple-choice. Open one to see it on the real paper.

9701/21 · May/June 2025 · Q6c(iii)[1]
Compound J does not contain the same functional group as F, G and H. Compound J also reacts with alkaline I 2 (aq) to produce a pale yellow precipitate. Suggest the structure of compound J.
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9701/21 · May/June 2023 · Q4c[2]
Q contains the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen only. It is a saturated molecule with no branching in its carbon backbone. Q contains only one functional group. The relative molecular mass of Q is 88. No effervescence is seen when Na 2 CO 3 is added to Q. Effervescence is seen when sodium is added to Q. Q reacts wi...
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9701/23 · May/June 2022 · Q5a(ii)[3]
4.0 cm 3 of gas is produced when an excess of Na is added to 0.001 mol of Y, when 2 measured under room conditions. Assume that 1 mol of gas occupies 24.0 dm 3 under room conditions. Deduce a possible structure of Y. Explain your answer. . . .
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What examiners said

Many candidates correctly gave pentan-1-ol. A small number of candidates made the link between the yellow precipitate with alkaline I2(aq) and a CH3CH(OH)− group. Many candidates struggled to synthesise all the detail to present a cogent answer to the question.
— Examiner report, May/June 2023, 9701/21 Q4(c) (Cambridge)

The structure of Y is butane-1,2-diol, CH3CH(OH)CH(OH)CH3. The information in the question stated that 24 dm3 of gas is produced (under room conditions) when excess Na is added to 0.001 mol of Y. The moles of H2(g) (0.001) produced from Y (0.001) is a 1 : 1 ratio, so there are 2OH groups for every Na. R(OH)2 + 2Na → R(ONa)2 + H2 1 : 1 A few answers correctly gave the structure of butane-1,2-dio...
— Examiner report, May/June 2022, 9701/23 Q5(a)(ii) (Cambridge)

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In the syllabus

16.1 Alcohols

recall the reactions (reagents and conditions) by which alcohols can be produced:
describe:
substitution to form halogenoalkanes, e.g. by reaction with HX(g); or with KCl and concentrated
carbonyl compounds by distillation
formation of esters by reaction with carboxylic acids and concentrated H2SO4 as catalyst as
(a) classify alcohols as primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols, to include examples with more than
state characteristic distinguishing reactions, e.g. mild oxidation with acidified K 2Cr2O7, colour change
deduce the presence of a CH3CH(OH)– group in an alcohol, CH3CH(OH)–R, from its reaction with
explain the acidity of alcohols compared with water

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