Aspirin Synthesis Lab Report
Abstract:
The purpose of this lab is to synthesise acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) by creating a reaction between acetic anhydride and salicylic acid. This was be accomplished through the use of recrystallization. Acetic anhydride and salicylic acid are mixed together, and then acidified by the addition of a few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid, which catalyzed the reaction. The percent yield is calculated to determine the effectiveness of the reaction in preparing the desired product (aspirin). The limiting reactant of the equation was salicylic acid. After the limiting reactant was determined, the theoretical yield of aspirin was calculated at approximately 1.97g. The actual yield was only around 0.67g, producing a percent yield of 34.3%. These results show that the methods used were only partially successful at achieving the goal of the experiment (synthesising aspirin). The findings showed that acetylsalicylic acid can be produced through a reaction between salicylic acid and acetic anhydride, but that a much lower yield will …show more content…
Inaccurate calibrations of the hot plate or balance could have shown higher or lower quantitative data which would have affected the results by producing either a higher or lower percent yield. A contamination of the substances used or the glassware could have caused the substances to react differently with each other, again causing the percent yield to change depending on how the contamination affected the substances by producing a higher or lower percent yield. Another source of error could have been due to the transport of the aspirin from the Erlenmeyer flask after cooling to the funnel to be filtered. Some of the aspirin may have been lost or left behind and that would have showed a lower percent
The purpose of this lab is to synthesise acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) by creating a reaction between acetic anhydride and salicylic acid. This was be accomplished through the use of recrystallization. Acetic anhydride and salicylic acid are mixed together, and then acidified by the addition of a few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid, which catalyzed the reaction. The percent yield is calculated to determine the effectiveness of the reaction in preparing the desired product (aspirin). The limiting reactant of the equation was salicylic acid. After the limiting reactant was determined, the theoretical yield of aspirin was calculated at approximately 1.97g. The actual yield was only around 0.67g, producing a percent yield of 34.3%. These results show that the methods used were only partially successful at achieving the goal of the experiment (synthesising aspirin). The findings showed that acetylsalicylic acid can be produced through a reaction between salicylic acid and acetic anhydride, but that a much lower yield will …show more content…
Inaccurate calibrations of the hot plate or balance could have shown higher or lower quantitative data which would have affected the results by producing either a higher or lower percent yield. A contamination of the substances used or the glassware could have caused the substances to react differently with each other, again causing the percent yield to change depending on how the contamination affected the substances by producing a higher or lower percent yield. Another source of error could have been due to the transport of the aspirin from the Erlenmeyer flask after cooling to the funnel to be filtered. Some of the aspirin may have been lost or left behind and that would have showed a lower percent