I've done an experiment in class (completely following the guide to the letter) of a solubility experiment (the solvents being water, cyclohexane and ethanol). The unknown solid did not dissolve in the water, dissolved in the ethanol but left it just slightly cloudy, and completely dissolved in the cyclohexane. We were only instructed to add them together, cap the test tubes and give it a gentle shake to catalyze any solubility. Then we were told to make a graph (Solubility curve) in Excel. But a solubility curve graph requires the temperature at which the solubility was determined. We were not instructed to do this, do what should my graph be based on? Is my professor just really bad at writing up instructions and forgot to tell us to make note of the temperature?

Answer 1

you will graph solubility (amount that is dissolved ) as temp increases. I suspect your Prof is bad at writeups, he assumes you know what he meant. I write that way sometimes.

My guess is he wanted a solubility vs temp for each of each solvent. That is not a short lab, you have to do each solvent as temp rises, keeping adding solute, shake, determine the temp at each time, and then take data of mass solute vs temp, for each solvent.
That is a pretty long lab for all three solvents.
If he did not want that, I am at a loss what we wanted as a solubility curve.