Experimental:
Part A – Fractional Distillation of 50:50 Mixture of Ethanol: Water
For the Part A of the lab experiment, the distillation apparatus was set-up according to the
lab manual. Five test tubes were also obta
...
Experimental:
Part A – Fractional Distillation of 50:50 Mixture of Ethanol: Water
For the Part A of the lab experiment, the distillation apparatus was set-up according to the
lab manual. Five test tubes were also obtained and were used instead of a receiving flask to
collect the distillate samples. 50 mL of ethanol-water mixture was obtained and boiling chips
were added to the mixture to prevent superheating. Then, the distillation was started. After the
first drop of the distillate into a test tube, the change in temperature was recorded every 30
seconds. Once the temperature stabilized around the boiling point of the azeotropic mixture,
another test tube was used to collect the pure azeotrope. The temperature as the azeotrope was
distilling remained at a stable temperature, and then it gradually increased. After the increase in
temperature, another test tube was used to collect the next fraction. The temperature was once
again recorded after every 30 second until enough data points were collected and a little amount
of the mixture was left. The atmospheric pressure in the lab was also recorded, which will be
used for the boiling point correction calculations.
Part B – Refractive Index Measurement of Distillation Fractions
For the Part B of the lab experiment, the refractive index of each collected distillate
sample was measured. The refractive index of both the water and ethanol standards were also
obtained. Finally, the total volume of the pure azeotrope sample was measured. All the distillate
samples collected were poured into the appropriate container. The remaining mixture in the
distilling flask was then poured into the waste container
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