Summary of Theory

Expt 1 : Triiodide Ion: Determination of an Equilibrium Constant

Locker # 3

Elemental ion dissolves in organic solvents better than when it is dissolved in

water. As a result the low solubility of Iodine gives way to it being used in combination
with iodide ions, oxidizing to produce the triiodide ion. This is made possible by
performing solvent extraction which is a very common laboratory procedure used when
purifying a product. It involves the distribution of a solute between two immiscible liquid
phases. The density of the two liquid phases should differ appreciably so that
unnecessary errors will be avoided during the separation process. The organic solvent
must be non-reactive/immiscible with water and with the substance to be extracted,
have low boiling point and have less viscosity.1
The Equilibrium Constant of a chemical reaction is the value of the reaction
quotient when the reaction has proceeded to equilibrium. It is solely dependent on the
temperature and the ionic strength of the reactant and product species in the mixture
and not on their analytical concentrations. 2 The determination of the equilibrium constant
can tell us if the reaction is either product or reactant favored, simply, it tells us about
the extent of the reaction in equilibrium whether it has moved forward or backward.
A liquid-liquid extraction is used for this experiment to separate the components
of a mixture into two immiscible solvent phases of different densities. 3 Ether two of the
phases will be aqueous and the other a non-polar lipophilic organic solvent. Methylene
chloride is non-polar while water is polar, thus these two liquids are immiscible and
separate in a liquid-liquid extraction to form two layers. Methylene chloride is denser
than water hence it is in the bottom layer. Iodine is non-polar and thus dissolves in
methylene chloride by dispersion forces. A small amount of iodine may dissolve in the
water initially due to dipole/induced-dipole interactions producing a slight brown color
but it is almost insoluble in it.

References:
1. Triiodide
Ion.
triiodide-141002042845-phpapp02/95/determination-of-theequilibrium-constant-for-the-formation-of-triiodide-ion-2-638.jpg? cb=1412224697
2. Equilibrium Constant. http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=32209.0
3. Solubility. https://projects.ncsu.edu/project/chemistrydemos/DemoList.html