Sod everything else, that's really easy, organic chemistry is needed.
I'll copy and paste the spec bit here so we (jun 05 c2 students and anyone else) can discuss it. I got an A in my C2 and C3B mocks which I can't quite believe because my organic chemistry is weaker than other bits of the spec.
TOPIC 2.2: ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1 (INTRODUCTION, ALKANES, ALKENES, HALOGENOALKANES AND ALCOHOLS)
The following is intended to introduce the study of organic chemistry.
Related topics at A2 will assume knowledge of this material.
a - Introduction
Students should be able to:
i - understand the concept of homologous series
ii - apply the rules for IUPAC nomenclature for compounds relevant to this specification
iii - recognise and predict the existence of structural isomerism within the types of compounds found in this topic
iv - recognise the existence of geometric (cis-trans) isomerism resulting from restricted rotation about a carbon-carbon double bond
v - be able to classify reactions as free radical, electrophilic addition, nucleophilic substitution, elimination, hydrolysis, reduction, oxidation or polymerisation.
• details of mechanism are not required at AS.
• understanding of the terms electrophile, nucleophile and free radical is expected.
b - Reactions of organic compounds
Students should be able to recall, in terms of reagents and general reaction conditions, the reactions of:
i - alkanes with oxygen (air), chlorine and bromine
ii - alkenes (to include unsymmetrical alkenes) with hydrogen, halogens, hydrogen halides and potassium manganate(VII).
The use of bromine solution as a test for alkenes (paper 3B only)
iii - halogeno-compounds with potassium hydroxide (to produce alcohols or alkenes) potassium cyanide and ammonia.
Identification of the halide group by alkaline hydrolysis, subsequent acidification and testing with aqueous silver nitrate (paper 3B only)
iv - primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols with acidified potassium dichromate(VI), dehydrating agents (eg concentrated sulphuric acid) and halogenating agents (phosphorus pentachloride, sodium bromide and concentrated sulphuric acid, phosphorus and iodine).
The use of phosphorus pentachloride as a test for the –OH group (paper 3B only)
• knowledge of the elimination of water between two molecules of alcohol to produce ethers will not be expected
c - Bonding and reactivity
Students should be able to use the concepts of single and double covalent bonds, bond polarity and bond enthalpy as factors influencing relative reactivity in appropriate reactions of alkanes, alkenes, halogenoalkanes and alcohols.
d - Quantitative chemistry related to this topic
Students should be able to calculate:
i - empirical and molecular formulae
ii - theoretical yield and percentage yield in reactions, from reacting mass data (paper 3B only)
• to include calculations in which one reagent is in excess.
e - Applied organic chemistry
Students should be able to discuss:
i - the advantages and disadvantages of liquid and gaseous fuels
• limited to hydrogen, ethanol, methane, butane and octane
• including calculations of energy evolved per unit mass and per unit volume
• including environmental factors
ii - the structures and properties of the polymers of simple alkenes and their uses;
• limited to poly(ethene), poly(propene), poly(chloroethene), poly(tetrafluoroethene)
• including representative structural formulae, making clear the repeating unit
iii - recall that halogens are used in the manufacture of herbicides and polymers; understand that the strength of the C–X bond gives a useful life to many of these compounds, but may lead to problems of disposal and persistence in the food chain.