BRAINCAKEUsing a Separating Funnel
The crude product of an organic reaction is often mixed with an aqueous solution. Most organic liquids are immiscible with water, so the two form separate layers. A separating funnel is used to remove the organic layer from the aqueous layer.
With the tap closed, the mixture is poured into the funnel. The funnel is stoppered, inverted and shaken gently, and the tap is opened now and then to release pressure. It is then clamped upright until two clear layers form. The denser liquid is the lower layer.
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Key terms in this lesson
- immiscible
- Describes two liquids that do not mix but form separate layers.
More in Organic Synthesis
- Heating under Reflux
- Distillation
- Drying an Organic Liquid
- Redistillation and Purification
- Identifying Functional Groups
- Two-Stage Synthetic Routes
- Predicting Properties from Functional Groups
All 8 lessons in Organic Synthesis · All OCR AS-level Chemistry topics