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You
did
this
at
AS
Level
and
there
isn't
really
anything
new
to
learn
here
for
A2.
As
long
as
you
can
interpret
a
spectrum
then
that's
about
it.
Note:
only
molecules
with
polar
bonds
absorb
IR,
so
N2
and
O2
dont.
IR
causes
the
bonds
to
stretch,
bend
and
vibrate.
Summary
There
are
only
2
main
regions
that
you
really
need
to
know:
the
carbonyl
group
at
around
1700
cm-1
and
the
broad
peak
from
the
OH
group
at
>
3000
cm-1.
The
messy
region
at
around
<
1000
cm-1
is
known
as
the
fingerprint
region
and
as
the
name
suggests,
it
is
only
useful
if
you
have
two
spectra
that
you
can
compare
(just
like
if
you
were
trying
to
match
two
fingerprints).
It
is
very
difficult
to
pick
out
information
in
this
region.
Occasionally
they
might
mention
other
regions
such
as
a
C-O
bond
at
1100
cm-1
but
they
normally
accompany
these
questions
with
a
table.
You
always
have
your
data
booklet
if
needed
anyway.
Here
we
have
the
OH
peak
(Q)
at
around
3400
cm-1
and
also
the
carbonyl
group
(R)
at
1750
cm-1
so
it
is
likely
to
be
an
acid.
Diatomic
molecules
such
as
N2
and
O2
do
not
appear
in
the
IR
spectrum.
When
a
molecule
absorbs
IR
radiation
it
will
bend,
stretch
and
vibrate,
resulting
in
a
change
in
polarity
(this
is
required
to
give
an
IR
signal)....but
this
does
not
happen
for
diatomic
molecules.
A
very
common
question
involving
IR
is
to
give
you
a
spectrum
with
a
carbonyl
peak
then
a
second
spectrum
without
that
peak
but
has
an
OH
peak
instead.
So
they
have
reduced
the
carbonyl
to
an
OH
group.
Mass
Spectroscopy
You
will
already
have
done
mass
spectroscopy
at
AS
level
and
there
is
not
much
more
to
add
here.
Spectrum
Analysis
Ethanol
has
the
formula
CH3-CH2-OH.
We
know
the
molecular
mass
=
46.
After
the
sample
is
placed
in
the
spectrometer
it
is
ionised
to
give:
This
is
the
ion
that
is
detected
to
give
the
peak
at
m/z
=
46.
To
identify
the
breakdown
peaks
you
just
have
to
start
"knocking
groups
off"
from
the
original
molecule,
from
either
end.
So
you
could
break
off
the
OH
group
to
give
CH3-CH2+,
which
has
a
mass
of
29.
You
could
break
off
the
CH3
group
to
leave
you
with
CH2-OH+,
which
has
a
mass
of
31.
So
what
happens
to
the
"other"
part
that
is
broken
off
(not
the
positive
ion
part)?
It
becomes
a
radical,
is
undetectable
and
is
lost.
So
if
you
break
off
the
OH...then
it
is
lost
as:
When
the
molecule
fragments
you
will
always
have
a
radical
part
and
a
positive
ion
part.
Thats
about
it
for
mass
spectroscopy
at
A2
level.