Theory Exam 1: Experiment overviews

Question 1

Benzoic Acid Crystallization experiment: General Steps

Answer 1

1) Hot filtration to remove insoluble impurities (water as solvent)

2) Slow cooling to room temp (allows for soluble impurities to leave)

3) Dunk in ice bath to fully crystallize

4) Vacuum filtration

5) Washing crystals over the vacuum system

Question 2

Extraction of Trimyristin experiment: General Steps

Answer 2

1) Dissolution of nutmeg in diethyl ether

2) Gravity filtration to remove insoluble components

3) Rotary evaporation (to remove ether solvent)

4) Dissolution of crude trimyristin in acetone (to dissolve the soluble impurities but leave the trimyristin)

5) Aspiration of the supernatant of the non-homogenous mixture (separating the solid trimyristin from the liquid with the soluble impurities)

6) Melting point determination of product

Question 3

Synthesis of Myristic Acid experiment: General Steps

Answer 3

1) Reflux mixture of 1:1 acetone/butanol and KOH (to yield myristate)

2) Acidification of myristate: myristate + HCl (to produce myristic acid)

3) Dilute solution with water (myristic acid NOT soluble in water, myristate is)

4) Vacuum Filtration (to collect the solid myristic acid and separate out the soluble myristate

5) Addition of ligroin to crude myristic acid (to dissolve the myristic acid but leave the impurities insoluble)

6) Column filtration (to catch myristate and allow flow-through of myristic acid)

7) Drying

8) Mixed Melting Point Analysis

Question 4

Simple Distillation: General Steps

Answer 4

1) Set up distillation apparatus

2) Make 1:1 mixture of acetone to butanol

3) Pre-fill graduated cylinder

4) Distill –> Collect temperature reading every 2mL of distillate produced

5) Distillation graph