preview

Unknown Organic Compounds Lab Report

Better Essays
Open Document

Identification of Unknown Organic Compounds by Melting Point, Boiling Point, Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Background and Method In the previous labs we were experimenting with different methods so that we can find different physical properties of the known compound. However, this lab report is a little different as it gives us two unknown compounds where we have to use the prior knowledge we have gotten in the other labs to ensure that we know exactly how to ultimately find the correct molecular structure of the unknown compounds. Therefore in this lab, we had to perform elemental analysis, boiling point, infrared (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopies (NMR) and melting point. Thus, the main objective of this lab was to ensure that the students knew how apply the techniques from the previous labs and interpret the spectroscopy data to formulate the correct structure of the compound. We were assigned G and H. G was the solid and H was the liquid unknown compound. That being said the first step was the elemental analysis. Thus, the very first step was the identification of the …show more content…

The theory for the melting point is that it helps with the indication of how pure a substance is, also it helps in figuring out the melting point of the purer substances, sharper melting points belong to more pure substances (Online Labs). Also melting points can be affected by the size of the molecule and intermolecular forces (Online Labs). Melting point was measured using the melting point apparatus. That being said it is very important to ensure that there is minimal impurities or the apparatus is not overly heated, this will lead to inaccurate data as it will give the wrong readings (Landrie, 193). The best way to ensure that the most accurate measurement is gotten to cool the apparatus to 10 -15 degree Celsius then taking the measured when it is heated to 1-2 degrees Celsius (Landrie,

Get Access