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CAIE IGCSE Chemistry 11.6 Alcohols Questions

Practise alcohol structures and reactions, ethanol manufacture by fermentation or hydration and comparisons of conditions, purity and feedstock sustainability.

Syllabus
2026–2028
Course
Chemistry 0620

Exam points

  • identify alcohol structures through the hydroxyl group and apply the alcohol general formula
  • write combustion, oxidation or esterification equations and predict the named products
  • compare fermentation with catalytic ethene hydration using conditions, rate, purity and renewability

Covered syllabus points

11.6.1—Ethanol manufacture11.6.2—Combustion of ethanol11.6.3—Uses of ethanol as: (a) a solvent (b)11.6.4—Advantages and disadvantages of the

Question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

The flow chart shows the preparation of ethanol and some important chemistry of ethanol.

 substance X→ fermentation  ethanol → process Y carbon dioxide + substance Z\text { substance } X \xrightarrow{\text { fermentation }} \text { ethanol } \xrightarrow{\text { process } Y} \text { carbon dioxide }+ \text { substance } Z

What are X, Y and Z ?

X

Y

Z

yeast

combustion

oxygen

glucose

combustion

steam

glucose

polymerisation

water

yeast

fermentation

glucose

Question 2

[Maximum number: 4]

Ethanol, C2H5OH\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH}, belongs to the homologous series called alcohols.

Question (a)

(a)

Ethanol can be manufactured from different substances by reaction with steam or by fermentation.

[ 2 ]

Question (i)

(i)

Give the formula of the substance which reacts with steam to form ethanol.

[ 1 ]

Question (ii)

(ii)

Name a substance which will undergo fermentation to form ethanol.

[ 1 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Ethanol is a fuel.

Write the chemical equation for the complete combustion of ethanol.

[ 2 ]

Question 3

[Maximum number: 1]

Which statements about ethanol are correct?
1 Ethanol is used as a solvent.
2 Ethanol can be made directly from ethane.
3 Ethanol is a covalent compound.

A

1 only

B

1 and 2

C

1 and 3

D

2 and 3

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