Organic Analysis

• The test for alkenes:

  Add Bromine water

  Observation: solution turns from brown to colourless
• Test for Aldehydes:

  Add Tollens' Reagent to the solution

  Observation: silver mirror forms
• Test for Carboxylic acids

  Add any carbonates to the solution

  observation: bubbling as carbon dioxide gas is produced
• test for alcohols or distinguishing between them:

  Add Potassium dichromate

  Observation: Solution turns from orange to green

  Otherwise: Its a tertiary alcohol
• Mass spectrometry: Used to find the relative molecular masses of organic compounds.
• Why do some molecules absorb infrared radiation?

  The bonds in the molecule vibrate at the same frequency as that of infrared
• Test for Halogens:

  1. Add nitric acid to remove impurities (as AgCO3 would form a white precipitate give a false positive)