You use 100 ml ethylchloride (density 0.92 g/ml) to extract 25 ml ethylene bromohydrin (density 2.41 g/ml) mixed with 100 ml of water. Is the aqueous layer the lower or the upper layer. How could you easily test this.

Question

You dissolve sodium chloride 40g. in the above mixture. Assuming the aqueous layer will have a volume of 112 ml, will the aqueous phase be the lower or the upper layer? Explain.

Answer 1

I went through this last night and you've corrected at least one of the problems. What is your trouble now? Explain in detail.
Based on my calculations I would think the aqueous layer would be on the bottom for a. How can you test it. You have the mixture in a sep funnal, add a drop or two or water and see if it sinks through the upper layer to the bottom layer or mixers with the upper layer.

Answer 2

The second part of the question I found that aqueous phase is still the bottom layer based on the density of each.

I just want to make sure I'm on the right track.

Thanks!

Answer 3

I think you're ok if the assumption that the volumes are additive is ok but I don't know about that. Having said that, I don't know of any other way of approaching the problem. If I were making up the problem I would have made the aq layer the top on a and the bottom after adding the NaCl in b but the calculations don't show that.