In the previous experiment, you recrystallized salicylic acid. If you were askedto take melting point of your crystals, would it be necessary to dry the salicylicacid crystals thoroughly first? What result would you expect from your melting

point determination if you did not dry your crystals?

This is my resoning:It would be important to dry the crystals. If any of the solutions used were wet, then some impurities might have been added by the water; therefore, the melting point would be lower in this case.

doesn't salicytic acid dissolve in warm or boiling water, so as you heat it up...

so it would be lower right?

Your reasoning is correct. It is necessary to dry the salicylic acid crystals thoroughly before taking the melting point because any moisture present in the crystals can lower the melting point and introduce impurities. Here's how you can dry the crystals:

1. After recrystallizing salicylic acid, collect the crystals using a filter paper or a Buchner funnel.
2. Transfer the wet crystals onto a watch glass or other suitable container to allow for drying.
3. Place the container with the wet crystals in a drying oven or desiccator, which is a sealed container with a drying agent (such as silica gel or anhydrous calcium chloride) that absorbs moisture.
4. Leave the crystals in the drying oven or desiccator for a sufficient period of time (typically a few hours or overnight) to ensure complete removal of any moisture.
5. Once the crystals are completely dry, you can proceed to take the melting point.

If you did not dry the crystals thoroughly before taking the melting point, the presence of moisture could cause the melting point to be lower than the expected value. This is because the presence of impurities (such as water) can disrupt the crystal lattice structure and lower the energy required for melting. Additionally, any impurities introduced by water during the recrystallization process would also contribute to a lower melting point. Hence, it is important to ensure the crystals are dry to obtain an accurate and reliable melting point determination.