Post Lab Questions

1. Because we did not have the manual, we could not find the
reference to this question. Fractional distillation can be used to
separate components of a mixture that have a large difference in
boiling points. If two components have a boiling point difference
of less than 40-50 degrees, simple distillation will not be
successful at separating them. In a case like that, Fractional
distillation must be used. According to the Survival Manual,
fractional distillation is used when the components to be
separates boil within 25 degrees of each other.
2. An appropriate rate of distillation is approximately 20 drops per
minute.
Distillation must occur slowly enough that all the
vapors condense to liquid in the condenser. Many organic
compounds are flammable and if vapor pass through the
condenser without condensing, they may ignite as they come in
contact with the heat source. In the presence of impurities, the
refractive index can differ from the supposed value.
3. The packing inside the condenser helps increase the surface area
for condensation/vaporization. As the lower boiling liquid boils
some of the higher boiling liquid also boils and starts to climb the
column. As the higher boiling compound gets farther from the
heat source, it is more likely to condense and the glass beads
provide the surface area so that the liquid can condense and
vaporize as it goes up the column.
4. If insulation is not used in the experiment, heat loss would occur
producing an unsuccessful distillation. The loss of heat would not
allow the compounds to reach their respective boiling points. The
amount of time for the experiment to be completed would
increase possibly producing inaccurate data.
5. In the fractional distillation experiment, the glass beads serve as
an extended surface area where the liquid condensed and
vaporizes, some of the liquid in the glass beads will not vaporize
and go up the condenser resulting in less liquid than the simple
distillation apparatus.

References
Pahlavan, D. (2012). Experiment 7 Distillation Separation of a mixture (pp. 1-5).
Houston, TX: houston Community College. Retrieved from
http://swc2.hccs.edu/pahlavan/2423L7.pdf
Experiment 3: Separation of liquid mixtures by simple and fractional distillation
(pp. 1-7). (2013). Glendale, CA: Glendale Community College. Retrieved from
http://www.sayhellotochemistry.com/Site/Lab_files/simple%20and%20fractional
%20distillation.pdf
Eperiment 9: Separation by Fractional Distillation (pp. 1-6). (n.d.). Salem, VA:
Roanoke College. Retrieved from
https://roanoke.edu/Documents/Chemistry/Exp9_Distillation_2010fa_rev.pdf
Samal, . (n.d.). Distillation. Ahmerst, MA: University of Massachusetts. Retrieved
from http://www.chem.umass.edu/~samal/269/distill.pdf
Nerz-Stomers, M. (2012). Experiment 1: Fractional Distillation and Gas
Chromatography. Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr College. Retrieved from
http://www.brynmawr.edu/chemistry/Chem/mner
zsto/Labs/Experiment_1.pdf
Camp, a. (n.d.). Liquids: Simple Distillation Fractional Distillation and Gas
Chomatography. N.p.: adamcamp.com. Retrieved from
http://adamcap.com/schoolwork/liquids-simple-distillation-fractional-distillationand-gas-chromatography/