Reflux (1 Viewer)

[Kukudas]

First Hand Investigation
Preparing an ester using reflux...

teacher done this prac as a demonstration -_-
i still dun get this prac

can some1 tell me briefly wat the prac is about ^_^

 

[Forbidden.]

You make an ester from an alkanol and alkanoic acid.
When you boil them together you make an ester.

But the ester will evapourate, so a condenser is used to recondense it.
This continues until all the alkanol and alkanoic acid becomes an ester.

 

[xiao1985]

heat in this case does 2 things: a) increase rate of reaction (as it does to all reactions in the world) b) increases yield (IIRC, since esterification is an endothermic reaction)

but reagents are volatile, as f3nr15 said. so you attach a condenser to condense all evaporated reagents.

 

[Forbidden.]

heat in this case does 2 things: a) increase rate of reaction (as it does to all reactions in the world) b) increases yield (IIRC, since esterification is an endothermic reaction)

but reagents are volatile, as f3nr15 said. so you attach a condenser to condense all evaporated reagents.

You wouldn't use an enclosed vessel to keep the products in because there will be a dangerous buildup of pressure which results in an explosion.
That's a justification for the use of a condenser.

 

[Undermyskin]

Is a diagram like in Miller's demonstration of 'life on earth' likely to help [in Bio]? Of course we can get rid of the electrical source but still we have a close circle with controlled (I guess) pressure?