A student performs the following steps to isolate biphenyl from a solid 1:1 mixture of biphenyl and salicylic acid.
Dissolve 2.0 grams of the mixture in 20 mL of ether
Extract the ether layer 2-3 times with an aqueous solution of 5% sodium
bicarbonate
Add 2-3 spatula tips of sodium sulfate to the ether layer
Extract the ether layer with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride.
Isolate the organic layer and evaporate the ether.
The solid they collect at the end weighs 1.23 g and has a wide melting point range. If the student expected to recover 1 gram of pure biphenyl, explain, based on the procedural information given above, why this student did not see their expected results. Hint: The order of steps in an extraction can be important.
A student performs the following steps to isolate biphenyl from a solid 1:1 mixture of biphenyl and salicylic acid.
Dissolve 2.0 grams of the mixture in 20 mL of ether
Extract the ether layer 2-3 times with an aqueous solution of 5% sodium
bicarbonate
Add 2-3 spatula tips of sodium sulfate to the ether layer
Extract the ether layer with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride.
Isolate the organic layer and evaporate the ether.
The solid they collect at the end weighs 1.23 g and has a wide melting point range. If the student expected to recover 1 gram of pure biphenyl, explain, based on the procedural information given above, why this student did not see their expected results. Hint: The order of steps in an extraction can be important.
For unlimited access to Homework Help, a Homework+ subscription is required.