Lesson 3.3.5.1

3.3.5.1 Alcohol production Quiz: AQA Chemistry, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.5.1, Alcohol production: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Chemistry (7405), Unit 3: Organic chemistry, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What reagents are used to make ethanol industrially from ethene?

    • Steam and an acid catalyst such as phosphoric acid
    • Hydrogen and a nickel catalyst only
    • Bromine water
    • Water and sodium hydroxide

  2. What is the name for the industrial method of making alcohols from alkenes?

    • Reduction
    • Hydrolysis of halogenoalkanes only
    • Oxidation
    • Hydration

  3. What type of mechanism is the hydration of an alkene to an alcohol?

    • Nucleophilic substitution
    • Elimination only
    • Free-radical substitution
    • Electrophilic addition

  4. What is the role of the acid catalyst in the hydration of ethene?

    • It removes water from the product
    • It acts as a radical initiator
    • It supplies OH- as the nucleophile only
    • It supplies H+ as the electrophile

  5. What are the typical conditions for industrial hydration of ethene?

    • Low temperature and high pressure with UV light
    • High temperature, high pressure and an acid catalyst
    • Room temperature and atmospheric pressure with no catalyst
    • Aqueous sodium hydroxide at 0 C

  6. What is the raw material for industrial fermentation of ethanol?

    • Methane from natural gas only
    • Glucose from plant material such as sugar cane
    • Crude oil fraction only
    • Iron(III) oxide

  7. What is the equation for the fermentation of glucose to ethanol?

    • C6H12O6 -> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2
    • C6H12O6 + O2 -> 2C2H5OH + 2CO
    • C6H12O6 -> C2H5OH + CO2
    • C6H12O6 -> 2C2H4 + 2CO2

  8. What is the typical temperature range used in fermentation of glucose?

    • About 150 to 200 C
    • About 25 to 35 C
    • About -20 C
    • About 400 to 500 C

  9. Why is fermentation carried out under anaerobic conditions?

    • Oxygen would make the yeast produce more ethanol
    • Oxygen makes the glucose insoluble
    • Oxygen would oxidise the ethanol and prevent fermentation
    • Anaerobic conditions raise the temperature

  10. What is a biofuel?

    • A fuel made from coal only
    • A fuel made from fossil crude oil
    • A fuel produced from recently living biological material
    • A fuel made from uranium

  11. Why is ethanol produced by fermentation described as a renewable biofuel?

    • It is made from crude oil that renews itself
    • The plant crops used to make it can be grown again
    • It is made from coal that forms quickly
    • It contains no carbon

  12. What is the maximum concentration of ethanol that yeast can produce by fermentation, approximately?

    • About 90 percent
    • About 15 percent
    • About 1 percent
    • About 50 percent

  13. Why is fractional distillation used after fermentation of glucose?

    • To remove the yeast from the mixture only
    • To separate ethanol from water, since ethanol boils at a different temperature
    • To convert glucose into ethene
    • To form an ester with the water

  14. Why is ethanol produced by fermentation said not to be truly carbon neutral?

    • Plants cannot absorb carbon dioxide
    • Fermentation removes carbon from the atmosphere permanently
    • Ethanol produces no CO2 when burned
    • Fossil fuels are used in farming, transport and processing, releasing additional CO2

  15. Which equation shows the combustion of ethanol, the biofuel?

    • C2H5OH + 2O2 -> C2H4O2 + H2O
    • C2H5OH + 3O2 -> 2CO2 + 3H2O
    • C2H5OH + O2 -> C2H4 + H2O
    • C2H5OH -> 2CO2 + 3H2

  16. Which environmental issue is linked to the use of biofuels?

    • Biofuels are always radioactive
    • Land use may compete with food production
    • Biofuels increase the ozone layer
    • Biofuels produce no emissions at all

  17. Why is hydration of alkenes preferred to fermentation for some industrial ethanol production?

    • It produces ethanol at room temperature with no catalyst
    • It produces no waste
    • It gives a pure product without relying on crops and yeast
    • It uses only living yeast

  18. What is the molecular formula of ethanol?

    • C2H6O
    • C2H4O
    • C4H10O
    • C2H5O2

  19. Explain why fermentation conditions are chosen at moderate temperature and in aqueous solution.

    • Moderate temperature gives the maximum ethanol concentration above 50 percent
    • Aqueous conditions make the glucose ionic and non-reactive
    • Yeast enzymes work best at moderate temperature in water, and high temperatures would denature them
    • High temperatures are required for fermentation and water prevents it

  20. Explain why the ethanol from fermentation is separated by fractional distillation but ethanol from hydration is usually not.

    • Hydration gives a purer product with less water, so less separation is needed
    • Fermentation produces ethanol that boils above 200 C
    • Hydration produces only water and no ethanol
    • Fermentation produces a gas that does not need separation

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