A mixture of fluorene and benzoic acid is dissolved in diethyl ether and mixed thoroughly with an aqueous solution of NaOH. After the layers separate, what will each of the layers contain? Label the layers. Indicate the main components, not species that could be present in trace amounts.
There is a bottom and top layer so the which of the following goes in which layer:
- organic layer
- diethyl ether
- fluorene
- benzene
- aqueous layer
- water
- benzoate ion
- HCl
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To determine which components will be present in each layer, we need to consider their solubilities in the different solvents involved. Here's a breakdown of what each layer will contain:
Organic Layer (Top Layer):
The organic layer will primarily contain the substances that are soluble in the organic solvent, in this case, diethyl ether. Fluorene will be present in this layer because it is soluble in diethyl ether.
Aqueous Layer (Bottom Layer):
The aqueous layer will primarily contain the substances that are soluble in water. Since benzoic acid is an organic acid, it will react with the aqueous NaOH solution to form a water-soluble salt called sodium benzoate. Therefore, the aqueous layer will contain the benzoate ion, which is the deprotonated form of benzoic acid.
To summarize:
Organic Layer:
- Diethyl ether
- Fluorene
Aqueous Layer:
- Water
- Benzoate ion (produced by the reaction between benzoic acid and NaOH)
It's important to note that HCl was not mentioned in the original scenario, so we cannot determine its presence based on the given information.