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Topic: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!  (Read 14343 times)

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Offline Absinthcloud

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After attending my most recent Organic Chemistry lab titled "Reactions of aldehydes and Ketones" I am left with two unknowns (about 2 mL liquid each) that I have removed from the class because I was not able to correctly identify them. The Laboratory involved testing some common aldehyde and ketons such as Acetone, Cyclohexanone, Benzaldehyde, Toluene, and two unknowns. with reagents such as: Chromic Acid, Tollens reagent, Schiffs Reagent, Iodoform and 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine. After completing all the reactions The two unknowns looked as if the mirrored Acetone AND Cyclohexanone. Due to time constraints I was unable to due further testing.. As stated above I now have a few mL's of the two unknows at home... Can anyhow tell me if there is any way to properly differentiate between these two compounds from my home??

Thanks in advance!!!

Daniel

Offline agrobert

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2007, 08:21:08 PM »
Either density or boiling point should clearly distinguish the two.  Or if you have lab access run the iodoform classification test for methyl ketones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodoform_test#Iodoform_reaction
In the realm of scientific observation, luck is only granted to those who are prepared. -Louis Pasteur

Offline Absinthcloud

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2007, 08:50:01 PM »
So The iodoform for methyl ketone test should only be positive with the Acetone not the Cyclohexanone correct? The hard part for me is to get the lab access to attempt this. Is Anything I could try out of the lab.. I mean using anything I could obtain from local stores???

Thanks for the Reply!

Offline agrobert

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2007, 08:51:09 PM »
Either density or boiling point should clearly distinguish the two.
In the realm of scientific observation, luck is only granted to those who are prepared. -Louis Pasteur

Offline macman104

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2007, 02:09:48 AM »
Is cyclohexanone very soluble in water (wikipedia states it is "slightly soluble")?  Acetone is miscible with water...

Also, if you drop a small amount of acetone on a counter or some such, and lightly blow on it/pass air over it, it should quickly evaporate...

Offline yrf311

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2007, 06:58:34 AM »
macman104  is right!

Offline Darkness

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2007, 11:42:57 AM »
Acetone will dissolve and remove nail polish cyclohexane will just get messy.

Offline P

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2007, 11:58:26 AM »
Could this one be done by smell?  I know the smell of acetone quite well  - I presume cyclohexanone will not be exactly the same  -  internet says it is similar to acetone but with a peppermint odour.  Thus - if you smell them both - the pepperminty smelling one will be the cyclohexanone.
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Offline AWK

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Re: How to tell the difference between Acetone and Cyclohexanone at home!!
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2007, 12:27:08 PM »
Open bottles - acetone has lower boiling point and dissapers faster (of course samples should be approx. the same, also bottles)
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