| Date | November 2009 | Marks available | 2 | Reference code | 09N.3.hl.TZ0.D1 |
| Level | HL | Paper | 3 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | State and explain | Question number | D1 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The discovery of penicillin was one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the last century.
State the type of hybridization of each of the carbon atoms (I, II, and III) in the \(\beta \)-lactam ring of ampicillin by completing the table below, and explain why the amide group is highly reactive.
Markscheme
;
strain in four-membered ring / as angles less than 109°;
Examiners report
In (c), many students could not relate the hybridization of the carbon atoms in the beta-lactam ring to ring strain and a significant number appear to have difficulty linking some key chemical concepts in this option.
