Distillation Lab

Discussion: In this lab, we used two techniques to purify a liquid. The two techniques we used were, simple and fractional distillation. Simple distillation separates distillates from less volatile substances. At the start of the lab the apparatus is set up for simple distillation. Cyclohexane is put into 25mL round-bottom flask. It is heated to a boil. Once it starts boiling, it evaporates up touching the tip of the thermometer and into the condenser, and out into a graduated cylinder to be recorded. Every 1mL of cyclohexane that dropped into the graduated cylinder, was recorded alongside with the temperature. During the first 3mL of cyclohexane temperature was raising at a fast paste. At around 80˚C the data begins to plateau.

In fractional distillation, the Hempel column that is between the stillpot and the stillhead is used. Simple distillation does not use the Hempel column in its apparatus. Unknown A was heated to a boil. Every 1mL was also collected and as well as temperature was also recorded. The first 9 mL was collected into a vial to get its refractive index. The last 3mL were also collected and called sample C. The unknown A was acetone and cyclohexane. The experimental Refractive Vial A for both trials were 1.3585. This result suspects to be acetone. The second plateau is vial C. The experimental Refractive index for vial C for trail 1 was a 1.4158 and the 2nd trial was a 1.4165. Yeah the second plateau is cyclohexane since it’s Refractive index is