Selected Methods of Analysis: Step 1
Selected Methods of Analysis: Step 1
PROCEDURE
Notes
1. The sample will dissolve more quickly if the tablets are first ground in a mortar.
If you choose this alternative, you will need to know (a) the total mass of your
tablets and (b) the mass of ground sample that you transfer to the volumetric
flask.
2. The volume of the sample aliquots and the volume of base used in the several
titrations must be measured carefully (to the nearest 0.01 mL). All other vol-
umes can and should be approximations only.
3. A 25-mL buret packed to a depth of about 15 cm with Dowex-50 cation
exchange resin makes a satisfactory column. Reconditioning after 4 or 5 elu-
tions is recommended.
vol EtOH
vol % EtOH 100%
vol soln
This relationship is not strictly linear. At least two reasons can be cited to account
for the curvature. First, the thermal conductivity detector responds linearly to mass
ratios rather than volume ratios. Second, at the high concentrations involved, the
volumes of ethanol and water are not strictly additive, as would be required for lin-
earity. That is,
PREPARATION OF STANDARDS
Use a buret to measure 10.00, 20.00, 30.00, and 40.00 mL of absolute ethanol into
separate 50-mL volumetric flasks (Note). Dilute to volume with distilled water, and
mix well.
Note
The coefficient of thermal expansion for ethanol is approximately five times that
for water. It is thus necessary to keep the temperature of the solutions used in this
experiment constant to 1°C during volume measurements.
PROCEDURE
Inject a 1-L sample of the 20% (v/v) standard, and record the chromatogram.
Obtain additional chromatograms, adjusting the recorder speed until the water peak
has a width of about 2 mm at half-height. Then vary the volume of sample injected
and the attenuation until peaks with a height of at least 40 mm are produced. Obtain
chromatograms for the remainder of the standards (including pure water and pure
ethanol) in the same way. Measure the area under each peak, and plot
areaEtOH/(areaEtOH areaH2O) as a function of the volume percentage of ethanol.
Obtain chromatograms for the unknown. Report the volume percentage of
ethanol.
1116 CHAPTER 37 Selected Methods of Analysis
WEB WORKS
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are an important resource for anyone using
chemicals. These documents provide essential information on the properties and
toxicity of chemicals that are used in the laboratory. Go to http://chemistry
.brookscole.com/skoogfac/. From the Chapter Resources menu, choose Web
Works. Locate the Chapter 37 section, and click on the link to a comprehensive list-
ing of most of the Internet sites that present MSDSs. Go to one of the sites and look
up the MSDS for oxalic acid. Browse through the entire MSDS, read the reactivity
data, note its chemical properties, and find the first-aid treatment for ingestion of
oxalic acid. Chemical manufacturers are required by law to furnish an MSDS for
every chemical that they sell, and many of them can be found on the Internet. It is a
good idea to examine the MSDS for any substance that you use in the laboratory.