Organic Chemistry 22/23 Experiments Flashcards
Define Steam Distillation
Is a separation process used to isolate compounds at temperatures below their decomposition temperatures. It is carried out by bubbling steam through the material and distilling off the immiscible liquids.
What is the principle of steam distillation?
The Principle of Steam Distillation is that a mixture of two immiscible liquids boils at a temperature that is below that of the boiling point of each of the individual liquids. The hot mixture of water vapour (from the steam) and oil (from the plant) is passed through a condenser and the distillate that is collected contains a mixture of water and oil.
Define emulsion
An emulsion is a dispersion of small droplets of one liquid in another liquid in which it is not soluble.
What is the oil of cloves used for?
- Flavouring various food products eg meat
- Treat toothache as it helps to relieve pain
- Pharmaceutical preparations and in perfumes and soaps
What are immiscible liquids?
liquids that do not mix with each other
Name the reason whole cloves are used in the extract of clove oil rather than powdered cloves.
Whole cloves contain more oil than the dried powdered cloves.
Define Liquid-Liquid Extraction
It is a technique in which two immiscible liquids (eg oil of cloves and water) are separated using a solvent (eg cyclohexane) in which one of the compounds of the mixture (in this case oil of cloves) has a higher solubility than the other (in this case water), i.e. the organic component is removed from the emulsion by dissolving this organic component in an organic solvent.
What compound is added to the cyclohexane solution in the isolation of clove oil experiment and acts as a drying agent?
Anhydrous Magnesium sulfate ( MgSO4)
Why, in the preparation of soap, is the mixture heated under reflux?
In order to bring the reaction to completion (maximising the yield) and so there is no loss of the solvent ethanol (ethanol vapour is continuously turned back into liquid ethanol)
