: 200
Common JEE question types and strategies:
Identification problems: Use degree of unsaturation first. Then apply systematic tests: Na (alcohol?), FeCl3 (phenol?), NaHCO3 (carboxylic acid?), Br2/H2O (phenol?), iodoform (CH3CHOH/CH3CO?), Lucas (1°/2°/3°). Oxidation products narrow down further.
Named reaction products: Memorise the quartet — Kolbe (CO2 -> salicylic acid), Reimer-Tiemann (CHCl3 -> salicylaldehyde, CCl4 -> salicylic acid), Fries (acyl migration, T-dependent), Claisen ([3,3]-sigmatropic, allyl to ortho).
Williamson synthesis planning: Always check the halide class. 1° halide = good (SN2). 3° halide = bad (elimination). Switch roles if needed.
Dehydration products: Apply Zaitsev's rule and watch for carbocation rearrangements. If the question mentions "no rearrangement," consider Chugaev elimination.
Common traps: (1) Phenol + NaHCO3 = no reaction (students assume it does). (2) FC fails on phenol (not anisole). (3) PCC stops at aldehyde; KMnO4 goes to acid. (4) Ethanol at 140°C = ether; at 170°C = ethene (temperature reversal is tested). (5) Iodoform test: ethanol is positive, methanol is negative.