Aldehydes and Ketones — Interactive Lesson (Ages 16–18)

The carbonyl group gives almonds, cinnamon and nail-varnish remover their smells. This 23-slide interactive lesson on carbonyl compounds takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 14 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Aldehydes and Ketones in A-level Chemistry

Students name aldehydes and ketones, explain their physical properties and distinguish them with Tollens' reagent and Fehling's solution. They describe reduction with NaBH₄ to primary and secondary alcohols, nucleophilic addition of HCN to form hydroxynitriles, why the cyanide ion attacks the δ+ carbonyl carbon, and why addition to a planar carbonyl can produce a racemic mixture.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Name aldehydes and ketones and identify the carbonyl group.
• Use Tollens' and Fehling's reagents to distinguish aldehydes from ketones.
• Describe the reduction of carbonyl compounds with NaBH₄.
• Describe nucleophilic addition of HCN to form hydroxynitriles.
• Explain why nucleophilic addition can form a racemic mixture.

What’s Included

• 23-slide interactive lesson on carbonyl compounds
• 14 self-marking activities: multiple-choice questions, true-or-false checks, sorting tasks, drag-and-drop categorising and fill-in-the-gap questions
• Step-by-step teaching cards that reveal one point at a time
• A written explanation task with a model answer for self-assessment

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — open it on an interactive whiteboard, laptop or tablet
• Instant feedback explains every answer, right or wrong
• Everyday examples make chemistry feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports the organic chemistry content of UK A-level Chemistry (AQA section 3.3, with equivalent OCR and Edexcel content) and prepares Nigerian students for post-SSCE study, JAMB and first-year university chemistry.

Love this? You’ll love…

• Amines — Interactive Lesson (Ages 16–18)
• Polymers: Addition, Condensation and Biodegradability — Interactive Lesson (Ages 16–18)

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FAQ

What year groups is this for? Year 13 (ages 16–18), and post-SSCE students in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 14 activities give instant feedback.

Do pupils need to log in? No. The lesson runs in any modern web browser.

Can I use it for revision? Yes. Pupils can replay it as often as they like, and the results screen shows which questions to review before a test.