IB Chemistry SL 3.4 Electron Pair Sharing Reactions QuestionsUse IB Chemistry SL questions to identify electron-pair donors and acceptors, draw curly-arrow mechanisms and predict organic products.SyllabusFirst assessment 2025CourseChemistry SLLevelSL
Exam pointsIdentify electron-rich nucleophiles and electron-deficient electrophiles, and classify Lewis bases and Lewis acids by the electron pair they donate or accept.Show heterolytic fission with a full double-barbed curly arrow, assigning the correct positive and negative ionic fragments and distinguishing it from homolysis.Deduce nucleophilic substitution products by replacing the leaving group, preserving the carbon skeleton and drawing curly arrows from the electron pair source.Explain electrophilic attack on an alkene π bond, write addition equations with water, halogens or hydrogen halides, and determine the product connectivity.
Question 1[Maximum number: 3]Chlorine undergoes many reactions.Question (a)(a)Predict, giving a reason, whether ethane or chloroethane is more reactive.[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow Answerchloroethane AND C-Cl bond is weaker/ 324 kJ mol−1324 \mathrm{~kJ} \mathrm{~mol}^{-1}324 kJ mol−1 than C-H bond /414 kJ mol−1/ 414 \mathrm{~kJ} \mathrm{~mol}^{-1}/414 kJ mol−1ORchloroethane AND contains a polar bondMarking guidance:Accept "chloroethane AND polar".Question (b)(b)Write the equation for the reaction of chloroethane with a dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow AnswerCH3CH2Cl(l)+OH−(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+Cl−(aq)\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}(\mathrm{l})+\mathrm{OH}^{-}(\mathrm{aq}) \rightarrow \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}(\mathrm{aq})+\mathrm{Cl}^{-}(\mathrm{aq})CH3CH2Cl(l)+OH−(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+Cl−(aq)ORCH3CH2Cl(l)+NaOH(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+NaCl(aq)\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}(\mathrm{l})+\mathrm{NaOH}(\mathrm{aq}) \rightarrow \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}(\mathrm{aq})+\mathrm{NaCl}(\mathrm{aq})CH3CH2Cl(l)+NaOH(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+NaCl(aq)Marking guidance:Accept use of C2H5Cl\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{Cl}C2H5Cl and C2H5OH/C2H6O\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH} / \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}C2H5OH/C2H6O in the equation.Question (c)(c)Deduce the nucleophile for the reaction in d(iii).[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow Answerhydroxide «ion»/ OH−\mathrm{OH}^{-}OH−Marking guidance:Do not accept NaOH.Add to Test
Question (a)(a)Predict, giving a reason, whether ethane or chloroethane is more reactive.[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow Answerchloroethane AND C-Cl bond is weaker/ 324 kJ mol−1324 \mathrm{~kJ} \mathrm{~mol}^{-1}324 kJ mol−1 than C-H bond /414 kJ mol−1/ 414 \mathrm{~kJ} \mathrm{~mol}^{-1}/414 kJ mol−1ORchloroethane AND contains a polar bondMarking guidance:Accept "chloroethane AND polar".
Question (b)(b)Write the equation for the reaction of chloroethane with a dilute aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow AnswerCH3CH2Cl(l)+OH−(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+Cl−(aq)\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}(\mathrm{l})+\mathrm{OH}^{-}(\mathrm{aq}) \rightarrow \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}(\mathrm{aq})+\mathrm{Cl}^{-}(\mathrm{aq})CH3CH2Cl(l)+OH−(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+Cl−(aq)ORCH3CH2Cl(l)+NaOH(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+NaCl(aq)\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}(\mathrm{l})+\mathrm{NaOH}(\mathrm{aq}) \rightarrow \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}(\mathrm{aq})+\mathrm{NaCl}(\mathrm{aq})CH3CH2Cl(l)+NaOH(aq)→CH3CH2OH(aq)+NaCl(aq)Marking guidance:Accept use of C2H5Cl\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{Cl}C2H5Cl and C2H5OH/C2H6O\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH} / \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{6} \mathrm{O}C2H5OH/C2H6O in the equation.
Question (c)(c)Deduce the nucleophile for the reaction in d(iii).[ 1 ]Mark as masteredShow Answerhydroxide «ion»/ OH−\mathrm{OH}^{-}OH−Marking guidance:Do not accept NaOH.
Question 2[Maximum number: 1]Which row correctly shows heterolytic fission?Original rows A–D showing Br–Br bond fission.ARow ABRow BCRow CDRow DMark as masteredShow AnswerCAdd to Test