Organic Chemistry Laboratory Survival Manual

The Melting Point Experiment Part 1 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu A melting point is the temperature at which the first crystal just starts to melt until the temperature at which the last crystal just disappears. Thus the melting point (abbreviated M.P.) is actually a melting range. You should report it as such, even though it is called […]

The Melting Point Experiment Part 2 (Laboratory Manual)

OPERATION OF THE FISHER-JOHNS APPARATUS 1. Don’t assume that the unit is cold. That is a good way to get burned. 2. Keep your grubby fingers off the cover slides. Use tweezers or forceps. 3. Place a clean round glass cover slide in the well on the hot stage. Never melt any samples directly on […]

Recrystallization Part 1 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu The essence of a re-crystallization is a purification. Messy, dirty, compounds are cleaned up, purified, and can then hold their heads up in public again. The sequence of events you use will depend a lot on how messy your crude product is, and just how soluble it […]

Recrystallization Part 2 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu THE WATER ASPIRATOR: A VACUUM SOURCE Sometimes you’ll need a vacuum for special work like vacuum distillation and vacuum filtration as with the Buchner funnel. An inexpensive source of vacuum is the water aspirator (Fig. 47). When you turn the water on, the water flow draws air […]

Extraction and Washing Part 1 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu Extraction is one of the more complex operations you’ll do in the organic chemistry lab. For this reason, I’ll go over it especially slowly and carefully. Another term you’ll see used simultaneously with extraction is washing. That’s because extraction and washing are really the same operation, but […]

Extraction and Washing Part 2 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu The Road to Recovery—Back-Extraction I’ve mentioned recovery of the four types of extractable materials, but that’s not all the work you’ll have to do to get the compounds in shape for further use. 1. If the recovered material is soluble in the aqueous recovery solution, you’ll have […]

And Now — Boiling Stones (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu All you want to do is start a distillation. Instructor walks up and says, “Use a boiling stone or it’ll bump.” “But I’m only gonna. . .” “Use a boiling stone or it’ll bump.” “It’s started already and …” “Use a boiling stone or it’ll bump.” “I’m […]

Sources of Heat (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu Many times you’ll have to heat something. Don’t just reach for the Bunsen burner. That flame you start just may be your own. There are alternate sources you should think of first. THE STEAM BATH If one of the components boils below 70 °C and you use […]

Clamps and Clamping (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu Unfortunately, glass apparatus needs to be held in place with more than just spit and bailing wire. In fact you would do well to use clamps. Life would be simple if there were just one type of fastener, but that’s not the case. 1. The simple buret […]

Distillation Part 1 (Laboratory Manual)

  By : James W Zubrick Email: j.zubrick@hvcc.edu This separation or purification of liquids by vaporization and condensation is a very important step in one of man’s oldest professions. The word “still” lives on as a tribute to the importance of organic chemistry. The important points are 1. Vaporization. Turning a liquid to a vapor. […]

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