Practical

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

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Source: Royal Society of Chemistry

Video and supporting resources to support practical work based on synthesis of an organic liquid, the experiment includes the stages of preparation, separation and purification

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.

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