[Exproxsul]

Having trouble creating a procedure for this. Could I please get some help?

Mixture of solids (0.5 g of each pre-weighed for you), ether, NaOH (10%), HCl (6M)
A lab

I need to isolate the benzoic acid first
and I need to any ether which will have transferred over to my product layer

help would be appreciated 

[Arkcon]

OK, lets try to put a procedure together.  You will have a carboxylic acid.  If you mix it with each of your reagents, how will it change?  Can you use that change to your advantage?  See if you've learned something in class recently that will explain it for you.

[Exproxsul]

I'm assuming I have to add the base to the ether making the benzoic acid insoluble in the ether.

[Arkcon]

There.  That was pretty easy for you.  For a minute there, I thought I would have to rease you along.  This is a pretty common first year organic experiment.  So, you have the benzoic acid dissolved in ether, you mix 10% NaOH in water with the ether solution, you get an ether insoluble form of benzoic acid ... now what?  Where does the benzoic acid go?  Is it an insoluble powder?  Or will it do something else?  And what are the other components of the mixture?

[Exproxsul]

I figured out what I had to do, thanks for the help  . SInce now the benzoate ion is now polar it will dissolve in water, drain the aq layer containing the benzoate, then use HCL to precipitate the benzoate out by reforming benzoic acid.