Question: A compound you have prepared is reported in the literature to have a pale yellow color. When the substance is dissolved in hot solvent to purify it by crystallization, the resulting solution is yellow. Should you use decolorizing charcoal before allowing the hot solution to cool? Explain your answer.

Question

My answer: A decolorizing step should be performed only if the color is due to impurities, not to the color of the desired product, and if the color is significant. Since the literature describes the compound to have a pale yellow color, it is most probably not due to impurities but rather is characteristic of the compound. Therefore no decolorization is necessary.

Is this okay?

Thanks for the help.

Sheryl

sounds ok to me.