Question

You isolate an acidic compound in an experiment by first separating it from the organic layer. Then you have a solution containing a salt of an acid. You acidify it using concentrated HCl. A precipitation begins to form while the solution is still basic.. why? You continue the precipitation by submerging the solution in an ice bath. The precipitated acid is then rinsed with deionized water, and dried using suction filtration. What could be done to this method to improve the yield?

Answer 1

If I understand what you've done, couldn't you continue adding HCl to convert more of the salt to the acid BEFORE submerging in an ice bath?

Answer 2

Sorry, I need to clarify.
My question is why does a precipitate begin to form even though the solution is still basic (before enough HCl is added to make it acidic).
Enough HCl is added to make the solution acidic, then it is submerged in an ice bath where the precipitate continues to form. The acid is then rinsed and dried as described above.
My second question is what could you do to this technique to improve the yield of the acidic compound?