what differences are there between edexcel and ocr mechanisms?
For the topics involving nucleophilic substitution, Edexcel requires you to know both SN1 and SN2 nucleophilic substitution, whereas OCR A only requires SN2
I can’t think of any other mechanisms one board requires you to learn that the other does not.
Edexcel requires you to know both SN1 and SN2 nucleophilic substitution, whereas OCR A only requires SN2 I can’t think of any other mechanisms one board requires you to learn that the other does not.
OCR A requires nuc & elec... subs & add + radical subs. Pretty much standard on all specs, I'd bet.
Exactly which compounds and attacking species may be subtly different (I can't see the mechanism for reduction of carbonyls using e.g. NaBH4 on Edexcel, but they do have KCN which is the same mechanism)
OCR A doesn't have elimination that I think AQA has, but I don't think Edexcel has either.
OCR A requires nuc & elec... subs & add + radical subs. Pretty much standard on all specs, I'd bet. Exactly which compounds and attacking species may be subtly different (I can't see the mechanism for reduction of carbonyls using e.g. NaBH4 on Edexcel, but they do have KCN which is the same mechanism) OCR A doesn't have elimination that I think AQA has, but I don't think Edexcel has either.
Reduction with NaBH4 is generally taught with Edexcel, which typically uses H^- as the attacking species (a massive oversimplification, but I digress).
Essentially Edexcel and OCR A require the same mechanisms, but Edexcel also expects knowledge of SN1 nucleophilic substitution as part of topic 16 (Kinetics II) and has asked for SN1 mechanisms to be discussed as part of an extended response question before (somewhere on 2018 paper 2 iirc). To my knowledge, OCR does not require the SN1 mechanism, nor does it require students to be familiar with the notation SN1 / SN2.
You are also correct that elimination is only an AQA thing, too.
Also to clarify my above post, I was referring to just the nucleophilic substitution mechanisms. I should have mentioned they also expect free radical subs, electrophilic addition, electrophilic substitution and nucleophilic addition.
Reduction with NaBH4 is generally taught with Edexcel, which typically uses H^- as the attacking species (a massive oversimplification, but I digress). Essentially Edexcel and OCR A require the same mechanisms, but Edexcel also expects knowledge of SN1 nucleophilic substitution as part of topic 16 (Kinetics II) and has asked for SN1 mechanisms to be discussed as part of an extended response question before (somewhere on 2018 paper 2 iirc). To my knowledge, OCR does not require the SN1 mechanism, nor does it require students to be familiar with the notation SN1 / SN2. You are also correct that elimination is only an AQA thing, too. Also to clarify my above post, I was referring to just the nucleophilic substitution mechanisms. I should have mentioned they also expect free radical subs, electrophilic addition, electrophilic substitution and nucleophilic addition.
We are in agreement.
My reading of Edexcel Topic 17 8 ii suggests that the reduction mechanism isn't required, but it is probably taught regardless.
Everything you believe about OCR A appears to be correct.
what differences are there between edexcel and ocr mechanisms?
Edexcel and OCR mechanisms differ primarily in their curriculum structure, assessment style, and depth of content. Edexcel tends to focus on a broader range of applications with slightly more contextual problem-solving, while OCR often emphasizes deeper theoretical understanding and step-by-step derivations. In terms of assessments, Edexcel may lean towards questions with practical scenarios, whereas OCR might include more detailed analytical and explanatory tasks. Both are rigorous, but the choice often depends on the learning style of the student and the teaching approach of the institution.