Curriculum Unit: Organic Chemistry

Topic: Reactions of Alkenes and Alkanes

Objectives:

Investigate and understand the process of separation of crude oil

Identify the three main reactions of Alkanes

Substitution by halogens
Combustion/oxidation
Cracking-catalytic and thermal

Integration of Faith and Learning: Matthew 5:14-15You are the light of the world. A town
built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead
they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. The use of paraffin as
candle wax.
Materials: candle, video about separation of hydrocarbons, power point presentation, models
built by students.

Lesson Plan:

Monday

An overview of the separation of hydrocarbons through the process of fractional

distillation will done through the use of a video and notes outlining the steps for the
process will be given.

Assignment 1 listed below will be given.

The reactions of alkanes will be introduced using the story outlined in the integration of
faith and learning.

On overview of the reactions of alkanes will be done and the notes recorded.

Tuesday

Students will be required to recall of the three types of reactions of alkanes and an in-
depth investigation into all three will be done.

Students will be encouraged to interact with the models they have created to visualize
how the reactions affect the structural arrangement of each molecule.
 Examples will be given of each reaction for reference which will be used in the Thursday
lesson and encouraged to supplement their notes with useful information from the
prescribed CSEC textbook.

Thursday

Students will independently engage in practice questions for the combustion and
halogenation reactions of alkanes in the form of a worksheet.

The sheets will be assessed and reviewed to ascertain whether students are comfortable
with balancing reactions.

Content Outline: See power point presentation attached for content relating to the reactions of
alkanes.

Fractional Distillation
Fractional distillation differs from distillation in that it separates a mixture into a number
of different parts, called fractions.
A tall column is fitted above the mixture, with several condensers coming off at different
heights.
The column is hot at the bottom and cool at the top. Substances with high boiling points
condense at the bottom and substances with low boiling points condense at the top.
Like distillation, fractional distillation works because the different substances in the
mixture have different boiling points.

Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil

Because they have different boiling points, the substances in crude oil can be separated
using fractional distillation.
The crude oil is evaporated and its vapours are allowed to condense at different
temperatures in the fractionating column.
Each individual fraction contains hydrocarbon molecules with a similar number of carbon
atoms.

Oil fractions
The diagram below summarises the main fractions from crude oil and their uses, and the trends
in properties. Note that the gases condense at the top of the column, the liquids in the middle and
the solid stay at the bottom.
 The Fractionating Column
The main fractions include refinery gases, gasoline (petrol), naphtha, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel
oil, and a residue that contains bitumen. These fractions are mainly used as fuels, although they
do have other uses too.
Hydrocarbons with small molecules make better fuels than hydrocarbons with large molecules
because they are volatile, flow easily and are easily ignited.

Home-Work/Activities/Assignments:
Assignment 1: Fractionating Column Activity
A. Kinesthetic learners will be asked to build a model of a fractionating column

B. Visual learners will be required to draw and colour a picture of a fractionating column

C. Auditory learners will be required to give an oral presentation explaining the process of
fractional distillation.

Assignment 2: Worksheet 1&2 on the reactions of alkanes