Chemistry Lab #14

Title: Miscibility of Alcohol

Aim: To test the miscibility of different alcohols with distilled water.
Materials/ Apparatus:
- 1 test tube rack
- 6 test tubes
- 6 propette
Reagents:
- Methanol
- Ethanol
- 3 methyl butan-1-ol
– Butanol
- 2 methyl propan-1-ol -
2 methyl propan-2-ol
- Distilled
- water

Diagram:

Method:

1. The propette was used to release 20 drops of distilled water into the tubes
2. Simultaneously, the propette was used to drop 20 drops of methanol into Test
tubes filled with distilled water
3. Observation was made from the test tube
4. Steps 1-3 were repeated for the remaining 5 alcohol
5. The test tubes were labeled accordingly, and the dta was collected and recorded in
a suitable format.
Discussion:
Miscibility is the property of two substances to mix in all proportions (that is, to
fully dissolve in each other at any concentration), forming
a homogeneous mixture (a solution). The term is most often applied to liquids but
also applies to solids and gases. For example, water and ethanol are miscible
because they mix in all proportions. However Immiscibility is the property where
two substances are not capable of combining to form a homogeneous mixture. The
components are said to be "immiscible. Components of an immiscible mixture will
separate from each other. The less-dense fluid will rise to the top; the more-dense
component will sink.
The oxygen atom is much more electronegative than either the hydrogen or the
carbon, which will cause the electrons in the covalent bonds to spend more time
around the oxygen than around the C or H. Therefore, the O-H and O-C bonds in
the hydroxyl group will be polar covalent bonds
The polarity of a specific alcohol can depend on the length of the carbon and
hydrogen chains formed, such that an alcohol with a very long chain can exhibit
more nonpolar characteristics. The alcohol or hydroxyl (-OH) group can have
compounds that are very polar like methanol and ethanol, while another like
hexanol is more nonpolar than polar. There are many different alcohols, and some
are miscible in water while others are not. Low molecular weight alcohols having
one carbon (methanol), two carbons (ethanol), and three carbons (n-propanol and
isopropanol) are miscible in water, as is tert-butanol. Less branched butanol and
alcohols having five or more carbons behave more like hydrocarbons and are
immiscible in water..