Which of the following statements are false regarding using a solid drying agent? (select all that apply)
a) Water can be present due to isolation and/or purification conditions
b) A good drying agent must be soluble in organic solvent
c) One type of drying agent is sodium sulfate
d) Decanting means to pour a liquid off a solid
e) A good drying agent must not react with water
I think b and e are false.
I agree
To determine which of the statements are false regarding using a solid drying agent, let's evaluate each statement one by one:
a) Water can be present due to isolation and/or purification conditions: This statement is true. Water can still be present in a sample even after isolation and purification.
b) A good drying agent must be soluble in organic solvent: This statement is false. A good drying agent does not need to be soluble in an organic solvent. In fact, many common drying agents such as calcium chloride and sodium sulfate are insoluble in organic solvents.
c) One type of drying agent is sodium sulfate: This statement is true. Sodium sulfate is indeed a common drying agent used to remove water from organic solvents.
d) Decanting means to pour a liquid off a solid: This statement is true. Decanting refers to the process of carefully pouring a liquid off from a solid without disturbing the solid material.
e) A good drying agent must not react with water: This statement is false. In fact, a good drying agent should have the ability to react with water to remove it from a solution or a solid. Common drying agents like calcium chloride and molecular sieves react with water to eliminate moisture.
Based on the evaluation above, the false statements are b) A good drying agent must be soluble in organic solvent and e) A good drying agent must not react with water. Therefore, your answer is correct.