Guide Questions
1. How will you define the following terms?
a. physical property
- Property of an object/material that can be observed or measured
without changing the chemical identity of the object
- Includes:
- Appearance
- Texture
- Odor
- Melting point
- Boiling point
- Density
- Solubility
- Polarity
- etc.
b. chemical property
- Characteristic of a substance that is/can be observed when it
undergoes a chemical change or reaction
- Includes:
- Toxicity
- Reactivity
- Bonds formed
- Oxidation states
- Flammability
- Acidity or Basicity
- etc.
c. melting point
- This is the temperature at which a substance changes state from
solid to liquid.
- Usually measured at a standard pressure of 1 atm or 100 kPa.
- Formula: (t1+t2)/2
- t1 = temperature at which the substance starts to melt
- t2 = temperature at which the substance is melted
completely.
d. boiling point
- The temperature at which a substance changes state from solid to
gas at standard pressure.
e. Volatility
- A measurement of how readily a substance vaporizes at a standard
temperature and pressure.
f. Combustibility/flammability
- A measurement of how easily a substance can burn or ignite
- Flammable substances are easier to ignite than combustible
substances.
g. Solubility
- A measurement of how easily a substance (called the solute) can
dissolve in another substance (called the solvent)
h. Miscibility
- The ability of two substances in all proportions to mix, forming a
homogeneous mixture.
2. What is an organic compound?
- In chemistry, these are any compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen
bonds.
3. How will you differentiate inorganic and organic compounds in terms of the following
properties?
a. Melting point
- Organic compounds have relatively lower melting points than
inorganic compounds
b. Boiling point
- Organic compounds have relatively lower boiling points as well
c. Volatility
- Organic compounds are more volatile than inorganic compounds.
d. Combustibility/flammability
- And are also easily flammable/combustible.
e. Solubility and miscibility
- They do not dissolve in polar solvents, as they are non-polar. Rather,
they form a heterogeneous mixture. When mixed with water, organic
compounds form a layer above it - showing its immiscibility with
water.
4. If an unknown sample is given to you, how will you determine the nature of it? Cite
concrete scenarios and specific methods of identifying the nature of an unknown
sample.
- Given an unknown sample and tasked with identifying whether it is organic
or inorganic, one can measure/observe its physical and chemical properties.
- Measurement/observation of physical properties:
- State:
- Organic can be solid, liquid, or gas
- Inorganic often solid
- Measurement/observation of chemical properties
- It is hard to say whether a compound is organic or inorganic from just
the melting point/boiling point as “lower” is relative to the general
melting points/boiling points of inorganic compounds
- Organic compounds are often volatile and easily
combustible/flammable
- And it will not mix with a polar solvent.
- It is also possible to detect the presence of C & H in a compound.
-
- C&H are detected by heating the dry compound with CuO in a test tube and
having them oxidize into CO2 and H2O respectively. The CO2 gas goes into
and through the tube into another test tube with lime water, making it milky.
The water created turns anhydrous CuSO4 in the tube’s bulb blue.
Documentation (Screenshots of Virtual Lab Simulations)
Melting Point of an Organic Compound
Observations
According to the Theory part of the website of the simulation, 2 things affect the melting
points of organic substances: 1.) size of the compound, 2.) Intermolecular forces between
molecules of said compound.
One determines the melting point of a compound by using the formula (t1+t2)/2, where t1 =
the temperature the substance starts melting, and t2 = the temperature where the
substance has fully melted.
With the proper determination of an unknown compound’s melting point and a chart which
has the possible identity of the compound as well as their MPs, one can determine which
compound the unknown substance is.
Boiling Point of an Organic Compound
Observations
The boiling point of an organic compound can be determined by the formula (t1+t2)/2
where t1 = the temperature at which there is a continuous stream of air bubbles (boiling),
and t2 = the temperature at which the bubbles completely disappear.
With the proper setup for the determination of BP and a chart which has the possible
compounds and their BPs, it is possible to determine the identity of an unknown compound.
Melting Point of Ice
Observations
Pressure Melting Point
1 Bar 0C
50 Bar -0.35C
100 Bar -0.7C
The melting point of ice linearly decreases as pressure increases.
Boiling Point of Water
In presence of Impurities
Observations
Sample Ionic/Covalent? Organic/Inorganic Boiling point of
water
NaCl Ionic Inorganic 106C
Sugar Covalent Organic 102C
KCl Ionic Inorganic 108C
As stated in the Theory part of this simulation, the boiling points are determined by the type
of molecule mixed into the water.
When the molecule is Ionic, it has a higher boiling point than when the molecule is
covalently bonded
At different pressures
Observations
Water boils at a higher temperature than its normal boiling point (100C) with pressures
higher than 1 atm. The higher the temperature, the higher its boiling point will be.
Conversely, at lower than 1 atm, water will boil at a lower temperature.
Documentation (Hands-on Mini Experiments)
Ignition Test on Liquid Substances
Distilled Water (Wilkins)
Ethyl Alcohol
Nail Polish Remover (Acetone)
Cup A: Distilled Water
Cup B: Ethyl Alcohol
Cup C: Nail Polish Remover
Ignition: Cup A - Distilled Water
Ignition: Cup B - Ethyl Alcohol
Ignition: Cup C - Nail Polish Remover
Residue: Cup B - Ethyl Alcohol
Residue: Cup C - Nail Polish Remover
Observations
Distilled Water Did not ignite
Ethyl Alcohol Ignite instantly and produce blue moderate
flames
Nail Polish Remover Ignite instantly and produced huge flames
Cup A ( Distilled Water ) - Did not ignite due to it being inflammable and a control group
Cup B ( Ethyl Alcohol ) - Ignited because it contains high-energy electrons in C-H and C C
bonds
Cup C ( Nail Polish Remover ) - Ignited and produced huge flames due to the presence of
acetone aka ( dimethyl ketone or 2-propanone )
Ignition Test on Solid Substances
Glass Dish
Lighter
Matches
Sugar
Salt
Sugar after Ignition
Salt after Ignition
Observations
After ignition
SODIUM CHLORIDE (SALT) Didn’t ignite and no reaction at all
SUCROSE (SUGAR) Didn’t ignite but melted into caramelized
state.
A. SODIUM CHLORIDE – The sodium chloride didn’t ignite when it came in
contact with the fire. It does have crackling sounds when the fire is touching the
sodium chloride but that’s about it.
B. SUCROSE – The Sucrose or sugar also didn’t ignite. But when it came in
contact with the fire it started to burn and melt into a caramelized state and it
turned from solid to liquid, however when the heat comes off and it cools down it
returned to a solid state.
Miscibility
From left to right:
- Liquid Bleach (Zonrox)
- Cooking Oil (Minola)
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Nail Polish Remover
- Distilled Water
A & D - 3mL Cooking Oil
A - added 10mL distilled Water and mixed
D - added 10mL alcohol and mixed
B & E - 3mL Liquid Bleach
B - added 10mL distilled water and mixed
E - added 10mL alcohol and mixed
C & F = 3mL Nail Polish Remover
C - added 10mL distilled water and mixed
F - added 10mL alcohol and mixed
Observations
Cooking Oil Liquid Bleach Nail Polish Remover
Distilled Water Did not mix (oil mixed mixed
floats on top of
water)
Isopropyl Alcohol Did not mix (Alcohol mixed mixed
floats on top of oil)
A. Oils are nonpolar, and as a result they’re not attracted to the polarity of water
molecules. It always float on top of water, creating a surface layer of oil.
B. It did mixed and no reaction at all.
C. It doesn’t have so much chemical reaction as nail polish remover and water.
D. The charged particles in an oil molecule are distributed more. Oil sinks to the
bottom and the alcohol floats on top of the oil.
E. Bleach and isopropyl alcohol will undergo a number of reactions. These two makes
chloroform, which is highly toxic. After mixing, their color turns into yellowish and has a
strong smell.
F. After mixing, nothing has changed in appearance but the odor is kind of strong.
Solubility
Beaker
Funnel
Gloves
Mortar and Pestle
Label
Graduated Cylinder
Test Tubes
Spoon and Spatula
Tongs
Distilled Water
Ethyl Alcohol
Naphthalene Balls
Napthalene Powder - from crushed
Naphthalene Balls
All Results
Results A
Results B
Results C
Results D
Observations
SOLUBILITY TEST RESULTS :
Sodium Chloride Naphthalene
Distilled Water Dissolved almost instantly Almost insoluble
Ethyl Alcohol Did not dissolve completely. Somewhat dissolved ( Did
not dissolve right away)
A-Salt (sodium chloride) is made from positive sodium ions bonded to negative chloride
ions. Water can dissolve salt because the positive part of water molecules attracts the
negative chloride ions and the negative part of water molecules attracts the positive sodium
ions.
B. Naphthalene is insoluble in water because it is non-polar. This means that it cannot
participate in dipole-dipole interactions or hydrogen bonding
C. Salt molecules are very charged, so they dissolve easily in water, which has slightly
charged molecules. Salt dissolves less easily in alcohol, because alcohol molecules have
less charge than water. Alcohol also has a portion of its molecule that has no charges, i.e.,
it is non-polar, like oil.
D. Naphthalene is a nonpolar compound. Thus, it is insoluble in highly polar solvents like
water. Naphthalene will be highly soluble in high temperatures but have low solubility in low
temperatures
Volatility
Materials (From left to right):
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Distilled Water
- Nail Polish Remover
- Permanent Marker (Front)
Distilled Water
Distilled Water after 3 Minutes
Distilled Water after 15 Minutes
Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol after 3 Minutes
Isopropyl Alcohol after 15 Minutes
Nail Polish Remover
Nail Polish Remover after 3 Minutes
Nail Polish Remover after 15 Minutes
Volatility Test on Illustration Board (Top to
Bottom)
- Water
- Alcohol
- Nail Polish Remover
Observations
After 3 mins After 15 mins
Distilled Water Nothing happened during Nothing happened during
the observation. the observation.
Isopropyl Alcohol Nothing happened during Nothing happened during
the observation. the observation.
Nail Polish Remover Nothing happened during Nothing happened during
the observation. the observation.
Ideally, evaporation of the used liquid materials should have happened. But due to some
reasons, there is no notice of the substances changing.
The organic compounds should have evaporated.
Trying a different method did work by using the black part of the illustration board and
dampening it by the three liquid substances.
Water was the first organic compound absorbed by the illustration, second was the nail
polish remover, and the last compound that was absorbed by it was Isopropyl Alcohol.
Physical and Chemical Properties
TEST SAMPLE COLOR ODOR STATE MSDS HAZARD NATURE OF
SYMBOL COMPOUND
White None Solid Non-Redox-Active
Sodium chloride Inorganic
White Mothball Solid Hydrocarbons,
Naphthalene odor Aromatic -
Organic
Yellowish No strong Liquid Hydrocarbons -
Cooking oil odor Organic
(Lauric Oil -
Coconut Oil)
Clear & Sweetish Liquid Ketones - Organic
Nail polish colorless odor
remover (acetone)
Clear & Vinous/win Liquid Alcohols & polyols
Alcohol (Ethanol) colorless e-ish odor - Organic
Clear & Sharp, Liquid Alcohols & polyols
Alcohol (Isopropyl colorless musty odor - Organic
Alcohol)
Colorless or Disagreea Liquid Salts, Basic -
Liquid bleach slightly ble, Inorganic
(Sodium yellow sweetish
hypochlorite) odor
Or
Faint
chlorine-
like odor
Clear or None Liquid Water and
Distilled water colorless Aqueous
Solutions -
Inorganic
Generalization/Conclusion
1. Determine the melting point and melting point of organic and inorganic compounds thru
virtual lab simulations.
2. Understand the terms melting point and boiling point.
3. Compare and contrast organic and inorganic compounds in terms of the ff. properties:
melting point, boiling point, solubility, miscibility, combustibility/flammability, and volatility.
4. Learn the tests used to identify the nature of an unknown sample.
5. Observe the fundamental differences between organic and inorganic compounds.
In Lab 2, we understood the terms melting point (the temperature at which a substance
changes from solid to liquid) and boiling point (the temperature at which a substance
changes from liquid to gas).
We were able to determine the melting point and boiling point of organic and inorganic
compounds through the simulations in amrita.olabs.edu.in. Here, we saw that the melting
point and boiling points were determined using the formula (t1+t2)/2. For melting point, t1 =
temperature where the substance starts to melt, and t2 = temperature where the substance
has melted completely. For boiling point, t1 = temperature where the substance
continuously boils or bubbles, and t2 = temperature where the bubbles completely stop
after turning off the burner.
With the determination of melting point and boiling point, as well as a chart of possible
compounds and their melting points and boiling points, we can find out which compound
the unknown substance is.
We can compare and contrast organic and inorganic compounds as follows:
Organic Inorganic
Melting point Relatively lower melting Relatively higher melting
point compared to inorganic point compared to organic
Boiling point Relatively lower boiling Relatively higher melting
points compared to point compared to organic
inorganic
Solubility Soluble with non-polar Soluble with polar
Miscibility Miscible with non-polar Miscible with polar
Combustibility/Flammability Highly flammable Not flammable
Volatility More volatile than inorganic Non-volatile in nature
We also used the following tests in order to determine the organic from the inorganic:
1. Ignition test on Liquid
2. Ignition test on Solid
3. Miscibility
4. Solubility
5. Volatility
And using the table above, see if it’s organic or inorganic.
We can also use qualitative analysis using CuO, Anhydrous CuSO4, and lime water to
determine the presence of C & H in the compound.
Fundamentally, organic compounds are made up of a hydrocarbon (C&H) and/or a side
hydrocarbon or functional group. Inorganic compounds mostly do not have carbon atoms in
them.
References
1. http://amrita.olabs.edu.in/?sub=73&brch=7&sim=33&cnt=1
2. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Book
%3A_Physical_Methods_in_Chemistry_and_Nano_Science_%28Barron
%29/02%3A_Physical_and_Thermal_Analysis/2.01%3A_Melting_Point_Analysis
3. http://amrita.olabs.edu.in/?sub=73&brch=7&sim=111&cnt=1
4. http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/laboratory/boilingpoint.pdf
5. https://byjus.com/chemistry/difference-between-organic-and-inorganic-compounds/
6. https://www.chemistryscl.com/organic/melting-and-boiling-points-of-organic-
compounds/index.php
7. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-chemical-property-and-examples-604908
8. https://chem.libretexts.org/Ancillary_Materials/Worksheets/Worksheets
%3A_Inorganic_Chemistry/Structure_and_Reactivity_in_Organic_Biological_and_In
organic_Chemistry/07%3A_Intermolecular_Attraction_and_Structure-
Property_Relationships/7.09%3A_Miscibility
9. https://byjus.com/jee/qualitative-analysis-of-organic-compounds/#Liebig
%E2%80%99s-combustion-method