Chemistry Chapter 12: Spectroscopy and Separations

Question 1

Technique to distinguish between enantiomers

Answer 1

Polarimetry. Enantiomers can only be differentiated by the direction in which they rotate plane-polarized light, which is assessed using a polarimeter.

Question 2

Liquid-liquid extraction

Answer 2

(LLE) is a technique that can be used to separate metal complexes and other compounds. It’s also known as solvent extraction or partitioning. LLE is often used to purify metal ions, and it can also be used to extract metal complexes into an organic phase.

Question 3

Detergents are

Answer 3

✅ Detergents are amphipathic (have both polar and nonpolar regions).
✅ Polar head = Water-soluble (hydrophilic).
✅ Nonpolar tail = Oil-soluble (hydrophobic).
✅ This dual nature allows detergents to remove grease and dirt in water.

Would you like an example of a specific detergent in action? 😊

Question 4

Isoelectric focusing

Answer 4

is a technique used to separate proteins based on their isoelectric point (pI), which is the pH at which a protein has no net charge and stops migrating in an electric field.

Question 5

Cation Exchange vs Anion Exchange

Answer 5

Cation exchange = attracts cations to the walls (anions elute first)

Anion exchange = attracts anions to the walls (cations elute first)