Diethyl Ether Lab Report

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In this experiment, NaOH and diethyl ether are used as solvents. NaOH and diethyl ether must be immiscible with one another. They each must selectively attract the desired component from the solution being extracted. They should be easily separable from the solute being used. NaOH is a polar solvent and dissolves benzoic acid that has a high polarity, while diethyl ether is a nonpolar solvent and dissolves naphthalene that has a low polarity. The density determines the solvent position in the separatory funnel. Since diethyl ether is lighter (less dense) than water it stays on the top. Since both naphthalene and benzoic acid are soluble in diethyl ether they will not readily separate, that is why NaOH is added. When the polar solvent, NaOH, is added, benzoic acid reacts to form sodium benzoate and water because benzoic acid has a high polarity and is soluble in NaOH. …show more content…

Then the OH- and H+ molecules combine to form H2O water molecules and a sodium benzoate compound. Sodium benzoate then becomes insoluble in diethyl ether and soluble water. However, naphthalene does not react with the NaOH because it is not soluble in NaOH. Naphthalene and sodium benzoate differ in solubility and can therefore be separated into an aqueous layer and an organic layer. The diethyl ether is nonpolar and naphthalene has a low polarity so they are soluble together. The sodium benzoate is soluble in water. Diethyl ether is less dense than water so it stays on the top organic layer with naphthalene and sodium benzoate and water separate to the bottom aqueous layer of the separatory

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