Question
Sulphur dissolve in toluene but not in water, give a brief account of how you would use these difference in properties to obtain separate pure sample of sulphur
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To separate pure sulfur from a mixture that contains both sulfur and toluene, taking advantage of sulfur's solubility in toluene and its insolubility in water, you can follow these steps:
### Materials Needed:
- Mixture of sulfur and toluene
- Water
- Separatory funnel or a beaker
- Filter paper and funnel (for filtration)
- Evaporating dish or heat source
### Procedure:
1. **Dissolution of the Mixture**:
- Begin by adding the mixture of sulfur and toluene to a separatory funnel or a beaker.
2. **Washing with Water**:
- Add water to the mixture in the separatory funnel. Since sulfur is not soluble in water, it will remain as a solid, while toluene will dissolve in the organic phase.
- Gently stir the mixture or shake the separatory funnel to allow the water to interact with the solid sulfur and extract any impurities that may be soluble in water.
3. **Separation of Phases**:
- Let the mixture settle. You will observe two distinct layers: the denser aqueous layer at the bottom (which may contain impurities) and the organic layer containing dissolved toluene at the top.
- Carefully drain the aqueous layer, ensuring that the solid sulfur remains in the container.
4. **Filtration**:
- To collect the solid sulfur, you can now filter it using filter paper and a funnel to remove any excess liquid or impurities that may still be present. Rinse the solid with small amounts of cold water to further purify it, taking care not to use too much water that could solubilize any remaining impurities.
5. **Evaporation of Toluene**:
- Collect the toluene solution separately and transfer it to an evaporating dish.
- Evaporate the toluene using gentle heat or by allowing it to stand in a fume hood to produce pure toluene as a distillate.
6. **Final Collection**:
- Once toluene has completely evaporated, you will be left with the pure sulfur that can be collected from the filter paper.
### Conclusion:
By utilizing the solubility characteristics of sulfur in toluene and its insolubility in water, you can effectively separate and purify sulfur from the mixture. This method is simple and leverages the differences in physical properties efficiently to obtain a pure sample of sulfur.
### Materials Needed:
- Mixture of sulfur and toluene
- Water
- Separatory funnel or a beaker
- Filter paper and funnel (for filtration)
- Evaporating dish or heat source
### Procedure:
1. **Dissolution of the Mixture**:
- Begin by adding the mixture of sulfur and toluene to a separatory funnel or a beaker.
2. **Washing with Water**:
- Add water to the mixture in the separatory funnel. Since sulfur is not soluble in water, it will remain as a solid, while toluene will dissolve in the organic phase.
- Gently stir the mixture or shake the separatory funnel to allow the water to interact with the solid sulfur and extract any impurities that may be soluble in water.
3. **Separation of Phases**:
- Let the mixture settle. You will observe two distinct layers: the denser aqueous layer at the bottom (which may contain impurities) and the organic layer containing dissolved toluene at the top.
- Carefully drain the aqueous layer, ensuring that the solid sulfur remains in the container.
4. **Filtration**:
- To collect the solid sulfur, you can now filter it using filter paper and a funnel to remove any excess liquid or impurities that may still be present. Rinse the solid with small amounts of cold water to further purify it, taking care not to use too much water that could solubilize any remaining impurities.
5. **Evaporation of Toluene**:
- Collect the toluene solution separately and transfer it to an evaporating dish.
- Evaporate the toluene using gentle heat or by allowing it to stand in a fume hood to produce pure toluene as a distillate.
6. **Final Collection**:
- Once toluene has completely evaporated, you will be left with the pure sulfur that can be collected from the filter paper.
### Conclusion:
By utilizing the solubility characteristics of sulfur in toluene and its insolubility in water, you can effectively separate and purify sulfur from the mixture. This method is simple and leverages the differences in physical properties efficiently to obtain a pure sample of sulfur.