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Topic: Separation of mixture  (Read 3720 times)

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Offline Steenrod

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Separation of mixture
« on: November 13, 2012, 02:01:26 PM »
How would you completely separate the ingredients of a mixture of aniline and nitrobenzene?

Thanks.
I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline discodermolide

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2012, 02:07:05 PM »
What features of the two molecules could help you do this?
Hint: nitro group and amino group, what are their properties?
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Offline Steenrod

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2012, 02:12:32 PM »
Sorry,i am lost here
I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline discodermolide

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2012, 02:14:29 PM »
Well forum rules insist you show your efforts at a solution.
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Offline Steenrod

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2012, 02:16:22 PM »
Sorry, working 18 hours a day is too much.I am going off to sleep,I shall try it next morning.

I doubt if I know any property by which these two can be distinguished.
I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline orgopete

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2012, 05:55:26 PM »
Hint, one of these can be made to dissolve in water. Check a pKa table.
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Offline Steenrod

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2012, 12:23:16 PM »
Ok, I read stuff up and came up with this:

Aniline dissolves in dil HCl with this reaction:

[itex]C_6H_5NH_2+HCl\rightarrow C_6H_5NH_3^{+}Cl^{-}[/itex]

Nitrobenzene does not dissolve in it but forms the bottom layer in the mixture,so the upper layer can be separated out.

But what next?Am I on the right track?
(and what happens when phenol is also present in the same mixture?)

I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline discodermolide

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2012, 03:03:55 PM »
Yes, well done you are there, you have separated your mixture.
Phenol will not be soluble in the dilute acid and may come out with the nitrobenzene, so how would you separate that pair?
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Offline Steenrod

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2012, 10:31:56 PM »
I don't know how to separate them.

I was thinking about the Ferric chloride test where phenol turns deep violet but that does not seem useful here.Can you please tell me how to proceed from this point?
I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline discodermolide

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2012, 11:49:46 PM »
What properties of phenol do you know:
Hint: Think the opposite of aniline.
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Offline Steenrod

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2012, 06:06:42 AM »
I cannot think of anything else.What can be the possible answer?

Are you hinting at using Dilute NaOH? Won't phenol react with dil NaOH to form sodium phenoxide,a  colourless solution, which when treated with dilute HCl gives back phenol?

I do not have much information about nitrobenzene;my text has only 1 page on it and mentions nothing about reacting with dil NaOH.
I am horrible at chemistry.I am always liable to fail my chemistry exams.So, sorry for stupid questions.

Offline discodermolide

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2012, 06:52:22 AM »
Yes adding NaOH solution will separate the phenol from the nitrobenzene .
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Offline zhangcarlin

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Re: Separation of mixture
« Reply #12 on: November 16, 2012, 06:21:02 PM »
Yes adding NaOH solution will separate the phenol from the nitrobenzene .

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