Unit 4 – scientific practical techniques
M2 – Describe the factors that influence purity
In the scientific techniques carried out for purification there is a possibility of at least one aspect that
could have affected the purity of our sample. However, both the drying and solvent extraction
techniques had a few different aspects that had the chance of altering the purity.
In the drying technique the laboratory technician dealt with our aspirin after it was filtered.
Our sample was left in the filter paper but when received, it had been placed into a conical flask by
the lab technicians. This could have affected the purity of our aspirin as it was not 100% certain that
the conical flask was clean and free from and debris. This meant there was a possibility of any debris
in the unclean conical flask mixed without aspirin and reduced the purity due to contamination.
Another aspect was the fact that we did not leave our samples to dry, as said the laboratory
technician sorted it. And so, due to the science prep room only having a limited amount of room
there might not have been a suitable space for the aspirin samples to dry and so could have been
left in an area that was quite moist therefore causing the samples to insufficiently dry. This creates
less crystal formation and the moist air could contain contaminants that mix with the aspirin.
In the solvent extraction technique, a set amount of ethanol and water was not used. We
dropped in ethanol until the aspirin dissolved and we added enough cold water until we started to
see the formation of water. However, by doing this method too much could have been added as no
time was spent to see if stirring for a minute before adding more would dissolve the aspirin. Instead
ethanol kept being added until all the aspirin dissolved and thus probably creating a low
concentration of aspirin and creating a not so pure sample.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Thank you for previewing the example, feel free to buy the singular task, or the Unit 4 bundle xxx
M2 – Describe the factors that influence purity
In the scientific techniques carried out for purification there is a possibility of at least one aspect that
could have affected the purity of our sample. However, both the drying and solvent extraction
techniques had a few different aspects that had the chance of altering the purity.
In the drying technique the laboratory technician dealt with our aspirin after it was filtered.
Our sample was left in the filter paper but when received, it had been placed into a conical flask by
the lab technicians. This could have affected the purity of our aspirin as it was not 100% certain that
the conical flask was clean and free from and debris. This meant there was a possibility of any debris
in the unclean conical flask mixed without aspirin and reduced the purity due to contamination.
Another aspect was the fact that we did not leave our samples to dry, as said the laboratory
technician sorted it. And so, due to the science prep room only having a limited amount of room
there might not have been a suitable space for the aspirin samples to dry and so could have been
left in an area that was quite moist therefore causing the samples to insufficiently dry. This creates
less crystal formation and the moist air could contain contaminants that mix with the aspirin.
In the solvent extraction technique, a set amount of ethanol and water was not used. We
dropped in ethanol until the aspirin dissolved and we added enough cold water until we started to
see the formation of water. However, by doing this method too much could have been added as no
time was spent to see if stirring for a minute before adding more would dissolve the aspirin. Instead
ethanol kept being added until all the aspirin dissolved and thus probably creating a low
concentration of aspirin and creating a not so pure sample.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Thank you for previewing the example, feel free to buy the singular task, or the Unit 4 bundle xxx
