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9701 A Level Chemistry/ Topic 36 Organic synthesis (A Level)/ 5 interactive simulations/ drag to rotate 3D scenes

Organic synthesis (A Level), made interactive

Five simulations covering Topic 36: spotting every functional group in complex targets such as paracetamol, aspirin and phenylalanine in 3D, the full A Level reaction map with arenes, phenol, acyl chlorides, amides, amines and amino acids joined to the AS map, a route builder for syntheses of three to five steps with each intermediate shown in 3D, a chirality and percentage yield workshop that multiplies the step yields and flags where a racemic mixture appears, and a reagents drill that mixes AS and A Level reactions with a running score.

1. Spot every functional group 3D · 36.1

Real targets carry several groups at once, often on a benzene ring. Pick a molecule, then pick a group (or all of them) to light it up in gold. Switch on the test mode to hide the names and check yourself before you reveal them.

drag to rotate · wheel to zoom

Molecule

NAME AND FORMULA

Functional group

GROUP
NAMING CLUE
Exam point: list every group before you plan. Count the rings, then look for C=O (and what is on it), O-H, N-H, C≡N and C-X. A carbon with four different groups is a chiral centre, so it also deserves a mention.

2. The A Level reaction map 2D · 36.1

The AS map grows an aromatic wing (benzene, nitrobenzene, phenylamine, diazonium salts, phenol and azo dyes) and an acyl chloride, amide and amino acid wing. Click a box to see the arrows that leave (orange) and reach (blue) it, or click an arrow, or its chip, for the reagents, conditions and type of reaction.

Compound class

Arrows from it

Arrows into it

REACTION
REAGENTS
CONDITIONS
TYPE OF REACTION
CARBON SKELETON
Exam point: give the reagent, the conditions and the type of reaction. Temperature often decides the product: diazonium salts must stay below 10 °C, nitration is held near 55 °C, and Friedel-Crafts reactions need anhydrous AlCl₃.

3. Build a multi-step route 3D · 36.1

Choose a task of two to five steps, then pick the reagent and conditions for each stage in turn. A correct choice builds the next intermediate on the bench in 3D; a wrong one tells you what you would really have made.

drag to rotate · wheel to zoom

Set task

STAGE

Reagent and conditions

ROUTE SO FAR
Exam point: write each stage on its own line with reagents, conditions and the intermediate. Order matters: for example, reduce the nitro group before you diazotise, and make the acyl chloride before you add the nucleophile.

4. Chirality and percentage yield 2D · 36.1

Two checks follow every route. Where is a chiral centre made, and does the product come out as one enantiomer or as a racemic mixture? And how much of the starting material survives the whole route? Pick a route, then drag the step yields.

Route

Yield of each step

OVERALL YIELD
MASS OF PRODUCT
CHIRALITY OF THE FINAL PRODUCT
Exam point: overall yield is the product of the step yields, not their average. A planar C=O or C=C that is attacked equally from both faces gives a racemic mixture, which has no effect on plane-polarised light.

5. Reagents and conditions drill 2D · 36.1

Each question lights up one arrow on the full map, mixing AS and A Level reactions. Choose the reagents and conditions that make the change, or name the type of reaction. A wrong answer shows the right one and the reason.

SCORE
0 / 0
CURRENT STREAK
0
QUESTION
Questions mix two kinds: choosing the reagents and conditions for a change, and naming the type of reaction. The starting class is gold and the product class is green on the map.
TheLucidSTEM · Cambridge International A Level Chemistry 9701 · Topic 36 Organic synthesis (A Level). Every scene runs in the browser; drag to rotate 3D scenes, wheel to zoom. Values are standard textbook data rounded for teaching.

About this lab: Organic synthesis (A Level)

Five interactive simulations for Cambridge A Level Chemistry 9701 topic 36 Organic synthesis: a 3D functional group spotter for paracetamol, aspirin, phenylalanine, benzocaine, 2-hydroxypropanoic acid and phenylethanone, a clickable reaction map linking arenes, phenol, diazonium salts, azo dyes, acyl chlorides, amides, amino acids and the AS compound classes with reagents and conditions for every arrow, a multi-step route builder that checks each reagent and shows every intermediate in 3D, a chirality and yield calculator that shows how a planar carbonyl gives a racemic mixture and multiplies step yields into an overall yield, and a reagents and conditions drill with scoring.

Five simulations covering Topic 36: spotting every functional group in complex targets such as paracetamol, aspirin and phenylalanine in 3D, the full A Level reaction map with arenes, phenol, acyl chlorides, amides, amines and amino acids joined to the AS map, a route builder for syntheses of three to five steps with each intermediate shown in 3D, a chirality and percentage yield workshop that multiplies the step yields and flags where a racemic mixture appears, and a reagents drill that mixes AS and A Level reactions with a running score.

Organic synthesis (A Level) is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 (topic 36 Organic synthesis). The course is assessed in Paper 1 (Multiple Choice (AS)), Paper 2 (AS Structured), Paper 3 (Advanced Practical), Paper 4 (A Level Structured), Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis, Evaluation). Syllabus for examination in 2025-2027. There are 5 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

Full syllabus map: A Level Chemistry 9701 topic 36.

How to use this simulation

  1. 1. Spot every functional group. Real targets carry several groups at once, often on a benzene ring.
  2. 2. The A Level reaction map. The AS map grows an aromatic wing (benzene, nitrobenzene, phenylamine, diazonium salts, phenol and azo dyes) and an...
  3. 3. Build a multi-step route. Choose a task of two to five steps, then pick the reagent and conditions for each stage in turn.
  4. 4. Chirality and percentage yield. Two checks follow every route.
  5. 5. Reagents and conditions drill. Each question lights up one arrow on the full map, mixing AS and A Level reactions.
  6. The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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