Why was ethanol used in this procedure? Weigh 1.0 g of sodium hydroxide into a 5

Question

Why was ethanol used in this procedure? Weigh 1.0 g of sodium hydroxide into a 50-mL Erlenmeyer flask, add a magnetic stir bar and f deionized water, and stir the mixture until all the sodium hydroxide dissolves. Then cool the solution to room temperature and add 6 mL of95% ethanol Measure 1.0 ml of benzaldehyde, 0.36 mL of acetone and 3.0 mL of 95% ethanol into a medium-size test tube. Mix the contents carefully with a Vortex mixer. Add this solution dropwise to the vigorously stirred sodium hydroxide solution Rinse the test tube with 1 mL of 95% ethanol and add this rinse to the reaction mixture. After approximately two or three minutes the reaction mixture should become cloudy. In another few minutes a yellow precipitate should begin to appear. Stir the reaction mixture vigorously for an additional twenty minutes.

Explanation / Answer

Benzaldehyde is an organic compound, it will soluble in organic solvent like ethanol and not soluble in NaOH solution. So ethanol is added, as it is miscible with water and helps in providing a medium for reaction to occur. Untill the compound is available for a reagent to react and no product formation occurs.

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