Objectives

To learn the techniques of distillation and boiling point determination

Introduction
Distillation is a common technique used to separate a mixture based on the difference in
boiling points of the substances in the mixture. The boiling point is the highest temperature at
which a substance's liquid state turns into a gas. Distillation allows the difference in boiling
points between two substances in a mixture to be determined. The combination of two
substances in a mixture is separated by boiling during the distillation process until one of the
substances turns into a gas. The resulting gas flows to another location, where it undergoes
condensation and is collected as a new liquid. Water condensers are used to produce a cool
environment as the gas flows, causing it to undergo condensation. Liquids with boiling points
below 100℃ will use water condensers, while liquids with boiling points above 100℃ use
air condensers. At the end of the experiment, two solutions with different boiling point
substances will be produced, indicating the success of the experiment. This distillation
technique can enhance scientific skills in utilizing the physical properties of a substance
during experiments.

Materials/Apparatus

 30% of ethanol in water

 Boiling chips (5-6 pieces)
 2-3 retort stands
 150-100 mL round bottom flask
 1 condenser
 1 still head
 1 thermometer
 1 filter paper
 2 rubber hoses
 1 adapter
 1 pocket thermometer
 1 heating mantle
Methodology

1. 25 ml of solution of 30% ethanol was filled in the round bottom flask. A few boiling
chips was added.
2. The apparatus for simple distillation was set up as shown in the diagram. The
thermometer being inserted into the thermometer pocket.
3. When boiling, the liquid was heated at a constant rate until the distillation rate is
about 2-3 drops per second.
4. A stable temperature was recorded as the boiling point of the liquid to be distilled.
5. The collected ethanol was measured after distillation, the percentage yield of
recovery.
Result
Discussion
The distillation method can be utilized to separate multiple substances with different boiling
points in a liquid. This process can also be used to determine the boiling point of a substance.
The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of the distillation method by
using a water solution containing 30% ethanol. The reference hypothesis states that the
boiling point of ethanol is 78.37℃ , while the water boils is 100 ℃ . To optimize the
distillation process, boiling chips were added to the flask. The water solution will be boiled
consistently between 80-90℃ until distillation rate is at 2-3 points per second. The condenser
was then used to create a cold environment, causing the substance with a lower boiling point,
ethanol, to condense and separate from the original solution. The volume of the new solution
containing ethanol was measured, and the expected recovery percentage of 7.5 ml was
calculated. The result of the experiment showed a new ethanol volume of 7.2 ml with a
recovery percentage of 96%, which indicates that the distillation method was successful in
separating ethanol from the water solution and met the reference hypothesis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be concluded that the distillation method is an effective way to separate
multiple substances with different boiling points in a liquid. This method can also be used to
determine the boiling point of a substance. By adding boiling chips to the flask and
optimizing the distillation process, it is possible to consistently boil the solution at a desired
temperature range for achieve an effective separation of the components. In this experiment,
the distillation method was successful in separating ethanol from the water solution, and the
recovery percentage of the expected volume was high. Therefore, the experiment confirmed
the reference hypothesis and demonstrated the effectiveness of the distillation method in
separating substances with different boiling points. The experiment went smoothly without
any problems.

REFERENCES
Nichols, L. (11 August, 2020). 5.2: Simple Distillation. Retrieved from LIbreTexts:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/SUNY_Oneonta/Chem_221%3A_Organic_Chemi
stry_I_(Bennett)/2%3ALab_Textbook_(Nichols)/05%3A_Distillation/
5.02%3A_Simple_Distillation

Nichols, L. (8 April, 2022). 5: Distillation. Retrieved from LibreTexts Chemistry Web site:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Organic_Chemistry_Lab
_Techniques_(Nichols)/05%3A_Distillation

R.Klein, D. (2008). Klein's Organic Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Global Edition. John Wiley &
Sons.

Gorak, A., & Schoenmakers, H. (Eds.). (2014). Distillation: Operation and applications.
Academic Press.

Vogel, A. I., Furniss, B. S., Hannaford, A. J., Smith, P. W. G., & Tatchell, A. R. (1996).
Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry. Pearson Education.
Question

1. Draw the apparatus needed for distillation.

2. Explain why we need to use boiling chips in the distillation process.

3. Ethanol have higher boiling point than propane. Draw the structure of ethanol and
propane and explain why.

4. What is the theoretical value of ethanol’s boiling point? Compare the value with your
experimental value of boiling point. Explain why is it differ.