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chemistry question

  1. #1
    Don't even ask why, I'm fucking retarded, but I need to confirm. Acetone is water soluble, heptane is not. If you pour acetone into an aqueous solution it will mix in, but heptane will sit on top.

    There's no way that acetone is soluble in heptane, right? In other words, if one were to pour water, acetone, and heptane in a cup or something, you'd have a solution of acetone and water in the bottom, and pure heptane floating on top. Am I correct in thinking this? Or is there some way that the heptane would dissolve at least some of the acetone?
  2. #2
    Non polar solvents can't dissolve into each other that's why you have dual solvent extractions where you use multiple solvents and exploit the solubility differences to isolate your desired compound.
  3. #3
    Originally posted by Something Squirrel Non polar solvents can't dissolve into each other that's why you have dual solvent extractions where you use multiple solvents and exploit the solubility differences to isolate your desired compound.

    I know this generally, but is there any chance impurities in the acetone could have dissolved into heptane?
  4. #4
    Originally posted by greenplastic I know this generally, but is there any chance impurities in the acetone could have dissolved into heptane?

    But that wouldn’t be acetone then
  5. #5
    Originally posted by Fox Paws But that wouldn’t be acetone then

    I mean...it would be acetone with impurities still. I think it's good though.
  6. #6
    Originally posted by greenplastic I mean…it would be acetone with impurities still. I think it's good though.

    Is this just hardware store grade acetone? I doubt it would have anything significant in it even if it's really low quality stuff
  7. #7
    Originally posted by Something Squirrel Is this just hardware store grade acetone? I doubt it would have anything significant in it even if it's really low quality stuff

    Yea, and it evaporates without leaving any residue
  8. #8
    Originally posted by greenplastic I mean…it would be acetone with impurities still. I think it's good though.

    Yeah but I meant.. that wasn’t the question in the OP. Impurities could be anything. What kind of impurities?
  9. #9
    Originally posted by Fox Paws Yeah but I meant.. that wasn’t the question in the OP. Impurities could be anything. What kind of impurities?

    Idk. Anything that might be in acetone.
  10. #10
    OP, the only honest way to solve this is by experiment.

    That is what you should tell your examiners as well.

    Theoretical chemistry is a godawful mess. The only way science can be kept reality based is by regular recourse to experimentation.
  11. #11
    The term you're looking for is miscibility. Heptane and acetone are miscible, water and acetone are miscible, and heptane and water are immiscible. It's not as straightforward as just polar vs non-polar, you need to look at intermolecular forces more generally to figure out if substances are soluble/miscible.

    In your example you'd probably end up with a layer of heptane/acetone and another layer of water/acetone.
  12. #12
    Originally posted by inb4l0pht The term you're looking for is miscibility. Heptane and acetone are miscible, water and acetone are miscible, and heptane and water are immiscible. It's not as straightforward as just polar vs non-polar, you need to look at intermolecular forces more generally to figure out if substances are soluble/miscible.

    In your example you'd probably end up with a layer of heptane/acetone and another layer of water/acetone.

    Probably? What is the probability? Show your workings.
  13. #13
    Originally posted by Issue313 Probably? What is the probability? Show your workings.

    I didn't do any 'workings'. It's an educated guess.
  14. #14
    Originally posted by inb4l0pht I didn't do any 'workings'. It's an educated guess.

    Cos an experiment is the only way to be sure.
  15. #15
    look it up in a chart.
  16. #16
    Originally posted by Issue313 Cos an experiment is the only way to be sure.

    If I bothered to sit down and work it out on paper I could tell you with pretty high certainty. But for one its been a while since I did anything chemistry related and my skills are rusty, and secondly I just don't care enough.
  17. #17
    Originally posted by inb4l0pht The term you're looking for is miscibility. Heptane and acetone are miscible, water and acetone are miscible, and heptane and water are immiscible. It's not as straightforward as just polar vs non-polar, you need to look at intermolecular forces more generally to figure out if substances are soluble/miscible.

    In your example you'd probably end up with a layer of heptane/acetone and another layer of water/acetone.

    Yea you’re right. Acetone and water mixed together homogeneously, then the heptane goes in and what’s left is water on the bottom and a layer of acetone/heptane on the top. Pretty sure that’s what happens.
  18. #18
    One was done with Acetone, heptane and water, and another was done with just heptane and water, the acetone one definitely has something else in the top layer than just the heptane one
  19. #19
    Impurities of acetone
    1. diisopropylether + acetaldehyde
    2. acetone
    3. methanol
    4. 2-butanone
    5. ethanol + 2-propanol
    6. benzene
    7. methylisobutylketone (4-methyl-2-pentanone)
    8. mesityloxide
    9. methylisobutylcarbinol (4-methyl-2-pentanol)

    Gas chromatography with an Agilent CP-Wax 52 CB column separates eight
    impurities in acetone in ten minutes.
    The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
  20. #20
    stupid noob VICTIM of farm equipment [the momentously grade-constructed phasmatodea]
    Originally posted by inb4l0pht The term you're looking for is miscibility. Heptane and acetone are miscible, water and acetone are miscible, and heptane and water are immiscible. It's not as straightforward as just polar vs non-polar, you need to look at intermolecular forces more generally to figure out if substances are soluble/miscible.

    In your example you'd probably end up with a layer of heptane/acetone and another layer of water/acetone.

    The term is aprotic.
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