Test for unsaturation (bromine water)
Test for unsaturation (bromine water)
Formula
C=C + Br₂ → CBr–CBr (decolourisation)
Real World
In A-level practicals, students add orange bromine water to cooking oil (unsaturated fats with C=C bonds) and observe rapid decolourisation, while adding it to paraffin oil (saturated) produces no colour change.
Exam Focus
State the colour change as 'orange to colourless' — writing 'clear' instead of 'colourless' will not earn the mark.
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