Preparation of an organic liquid | practical videos | 16–18 students

All specifications aimed at learners 16–18 years include some form of synthesis of a pure organic liquid or solid. Learners will need to appreciate that organic synthesis can involve multiple reactions, followed by extraction and purification steps. This experiment gives learners on A-level and equivalent 16–18 courses an opportunity to prepare their own organic liquid. Additional resources including pause-and-think questions with answers, teacher notes, technician notes, intended outcomes and a follow-up worksheet are provided to support your teaching.

Chapter titles: 00:10 Introduction and overview; 01:08 Preparation: combining concentrated hydrochloric acid with 2-methylpropan-2-ol; 02:07 Separation: removing the aqueous layer using a separating funnel; 03:10 Purification: first, sodium hydrogen carbonate solution is added to remove unreacted hydrochloric acid; 04:43 Then solid anhydrous sodium sulfate (drying agent) is added to remove any trace amounts of water; 05:25 Finally, distillation separates the sample from any remaining reactant.