Aspirin level 2

0017_Zakhwa Auliya Nabilla

Aims
In level 2, you'll learn about the chemical properties of aspirin. You'll get to purify your crude sample by recrystallisation, we recommend a starting
weight of 5 g, and then analyse it using thin layer chromatography.

In each activity you'll be able to collect points. At the end of the level you can restart to improve your skills or progress to the next challenge.

Video 100 Points

Comprehension 100 Points 1 Attempt

Recrystallisation is a procedure for purifying compounds.

Recrystallisation involves dissolving your sample in the minimum volume of solvent.

If a compound is non-polar, the best choice of solvent in which to dissolve it is non-polar.

After recrystallisation, you would usually expect the mass of your product to have decreased.

TLC is a procedure used to analyse chemical compounds. It stands for Thin Layer Chromatography.

Polarity of aspirin 100 Points 1 Attempt

The carboxylic acid group is strongly polar.

The ester group is weakly polar.

The phenyl group is non polar.

Aspirin is a polar molecule.

Ethanol is a polar solvent which can be used to recrystallise aspirin.

Recrystallisation 100 Points 1 Attempt

White needle-like crystals formed on recrystallisation:
Vacuum filtration 100 Points 1 Attempt
Filtered crystals:

TLC experiment 100 Points 1 Attempt

TLC plate:

A: Starting material
B: Crude aspirin
C: Recrystallised aspirin

TLC analysis 100 Points 1 Attempt

The distance from the origin to the compound.

Rf =
The distance from the origin to the solvent front.

Aspirin Rf = 0.5.

2-Hydroxybenzoic acid Rf = 0.75.

Key
A: Starting material
B: Crude product
C: Recrystallised product

Yield 100 Points 1 Attempt

Amount of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid is 0.0370 mol.

Theoretical yield of aspirin is 6.66 g.

Percentage yield of crude aspirin is 72%.

Percentage yield of pure aspirin is 60%.

Review
Things I did well on:

Things I could improve on:

You have ended up with a yield of 60% pure aspirin. Do you think this represents a good yield overall?