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Provide a context in which learners can plan a sequence of tests – the less the better! – to identify a set of unlabelled organic compounds.

Qualitative tests of organic functional groups appear in all 16–18 courses. It is not enough to just be able to recall how to carry out each test. This experiment requires a solid understanding of the tests and a logical approach to deduce the identities through positive/negative results and a process of elimination.

Chapter titles
00:00 Opening titles
00:10 Introduction to the investigation
02:04 Test for carboxylic acid by adding a few drops of sodium hydrogen carbonate solution to each sample
03:35 Test for an unsaturated hydrocarbon by adding bromine water to each sample
05:26 Test for haloalkanes with ethanol and silver nitrate solution
07:40 Test for alcohols with acidified potassium dichromate solution, microscale
09:49 Test for carbonyl groups with Brady’s reagent (a solution of dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4DNPH), microscale
12:07 Test for aldehydes using Tollens’ reagent

Discover videos for more core practicals for 16–18 year olds at https://rsc.li/2XfPWe5
And for 14–16 year olds at https://rsc.li/36XHfXi