plumiEster hydrolysis and polyesters: Edexcel International A Level Chemistry questions
Edexcel International A Level Chemistry past-paper questions on 15.D.3 Ester hydrolysis and polyesters, 2019–2025, with mark schemes and examiner’s reports where available.
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All 25 questions on Ester hydrolysis and polyesters, as a list
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q2 (1 mark): A polyester is made from pentane-1,5-diol and pentanedioic acid. Which is the repeat unit of this polyester? A B O O O O [ [ O C C O O O C C O O (CH2)3 (CH2)5 (
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q15 (1 mark): Which monomer could form a condensation polymer without needing a second type of monomer? A HO(CH2)4OH B HO(CH2)4COCl C HO(CH2)4CH CH2 D HO(CH2)4CH2Cl
- June 2024, Unit 4, Q12 (1 mark): An ester is hydrolysed in excess dilute hydrochloric acid to form ethanol and propanedioic acid. What is the skeletal formula of this ester? O O A O O O B O O C
- January 2024, Unit 4, Q18(c)(ii) (1 mark): A small amount of a polymeric compound is formed during Step 3. Deduce the structure for the repeat unit of the polymer formed. (1)
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q11 (1 mark): Which diagram shows two repeat units of the polymer formed by the polymerisation of propane‑1,3‑diol and benzene‑1,4‑dicarboxylic acid? O O A O CH2CH2CH2 O C C
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q8 (1 mark): The two monomers shown react to form a polymer. O HO O OH OH HO monomer 1 monomer 2 Which is a repeat unit of the resulting polymer? O O A O O O O B O O HO O C
- June 2023, Unit 4, Q12 (1 mark): Which is produced after the polyester shown is hydrolysed with excess sodium hydroxide? O O H H O C C O C C H H n A benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid B ethane-1,2-d
- June 2023, Unit 5, Q25(c) (1 mark): When benzocaine and procaine are hydrolysed, one of the products formed is the same in both reactions. Give the structure of this product. (1)
- January 2023, Unit 4, Q18(b)(i) (2 marks): Draw the structure of a section of PLA showing two repeat units. (2)
- January 2023, Unit 5, Q19(c)(v) (3 marks): Aspartame is hydrolysed by hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Draw the structures of the three organic products formed from the complete acid hydrolysis of aspar
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q17(a)(i) (1 mark): Draw the structure of the cyclic ester B. (1)
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q17(a)(ii) (2 marks): Draw the structure of the condensation polymer C, showing two repeat units. (2)
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q17(b)(ii) (3 marks): Complete the equation for the alkaline hydrolysis of this triester with excess aqueous sodium hydroxide, showing the structures of the products. (3) O O + NaOH
- January 2022, Unit 4, Q15 (1 mark): Which of these compounds is a product of the hydrolysis of CH3COOC3H7 by refluxing with aqueous sodium hydroxide? A CH3OH B C3H7OH C C3H7COOH D C3H7COO–Na+
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q13 (1 mark): Butanoic acid may be prepared by the acid hydrolysis of A butyl ethanoate B 1-chlorobutane C ethyl butanoate D propanenitrile Use this space for any rough worki
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q14 (1 mark): Terylene is a polyester derived from ethane-1,2-diol and terephthalic acid. HO OH C C O O terephthalic acid What is the structure of the repeat unit of terylene
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q15 (1 mark): The formation of esters and the hydrolysis of esters are reactions that are slow under normal laboratory conditions. What speeds up these reactions? Esterificat
- October 2021, Unit 5, Q21(f)(i) (2 marks): Hydrolysis with excess aqueous sodium hydroxide. (2)
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q9(a) (1 mark): Which of these is the repeat unit of the polymer? (1) A O O O O O B O O O O C O O O O O O D O O O
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q9(b) (1 mark): What reaction occurs when PHBV biodegrades to its monomers? (1) A condensation B hydrolysis C hydration D hydrogenation
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q14 (1 mark): Propyl ethanoate, CH3COOCH2CH2CH3 , is hydrolysed with aqueous sodium hydroxide. Which products are formed? A CH3COOH and CH3CH2CH2OH B CH3COOH and CH3CH2CH2ONa
- January 2021, Unit 4, Q17(c) (2 marks): The repeat unit of a polyester is shown. H H O H O O C C O C C C C H H H Give the structures of the two monomers that could form this polyester. (2) Monomer 1 M
- October 2020, Unit 5, Q9 (1 mark): Which pair of monomers can form this polymer? O O C C O CH2 CH2 O Monomer 1 Monomer 2 A HOC6H4OH HOOCCH2CH2COOH B HOCH2C6H4CH2OH HOOCCH2CH2COOH C HOCH2C6H4COOH
- October 2020, Unit 6, Q2(a) (4 marks): Compound P is a colourless liquid with a sweet fruity smell. When a sample of P was heated with sodium hydroxide, a volatile product was formed which had a mole
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q20(a)(ii) (3 marks): 6.06 × 10–3 mol of sodium hydroxide reacted with the ester present in 1.07 g of the flavouring. Calculate the percentage by mass of the ester in the food flavou
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