Experiment 1: Boiling points and melting points

10th June 2016

Ponnusamy, S., Chia W.Y., Ibrahim, N. and Lee F.W.

To whom correspondence should be addressed: sureka96@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Organic compounds exhibit physical and chemical properties. These properties are a
consequence of their structure. Boiling point and melting point are physical properties of organic
compounds and are affected by several factors. The experiment was conducted to determine the
boiling point of liquids and the melting point of solid along with identifying the unknown solid
by the method of mixed melting points. The apparatus used and procedures that were followed
are the one written in the laboratory manual. In this experiment, three liquids (methanol, ethanol
and 2-propanal) are tested for their boiling points and four samples of compounds and mixture
(cinnamic acid, cholesterol, benzoic acid and unknown) are tested for their melting points with
the aid of an oil bath. The boiling points for methanol (67C), ethanol (78C) and 2-propanol
(80.2C). As for the melting points, cinnamic acid (126.4C), cholesterol (120.8C), benzoic acid
(112.4C) and unknown (104C). The boiling point of liquids increased due to the increase
number of carbons. The unknown could not be determined due to large experimental error.

INTRODUCTION
It is important to determine the physical properties of organic compounds to identify and
categorize the unknown molecule by comparison with handbook or other experimental values.
Two of the more important physical properties, which are boiling point and melting point, are
used by organic chemists to identify the organic molecule. The boiling point of a liquid is the
temperature at which the vapor pressure of liquid equals the surrounding atmospheric pressure.
The boiling point will be lower at lower surrounding atmospheric pressure. Boiling points are
sometimes used to determine the purity of substances since pure substances have a distinct
boiling point. The melting point is the temperature at which the solid become liquid. In this
experiment, the melting points are determined as capillary melting points, which are done with a
small amount of sample in a capillary tube. A capillary melting point is defined as the
temperature range over which a small amount of solid in a thin walled capillary tube first visibly
softens (first drop of liquid) and then completely liquefies (Pahlavan, n. d.). A pure organic
compound usually melts over a range of two degrees or less (College of Southern Idaho, n. d.)
because the forces of attraction between its particles are the same. However, there is lowering
and broadening of the

melting point if there is presence of impurity because the uniform structure of a crystal lattice is
interrupted by the presence of a foreign particle and the forces of attraction are weakened. The
melting point range can be used to identify the unknown compound and determine the presence
of impurity.

AIM/OBJECTIVE
1. To determine the boiling point of a liquid.
2. To determine the melting point of a solid.

MATERIALS and METHODS

As per laboratory manual

RESULTS
Table A: Boiling points
Sample
Methyl Alcohol/ methanol
Ethyl alcohol/ ethanol
Isopropyl alcohol

Handbook values of boiling points/oC

64.7
78.5
82.6

Experimental values
67 +/
78 +/
80.2 +

Handbook values of melting points/oC

Experimental values o

Table B: Melting points

Sample

Cinnamic Acid (A)

Cholesterol (B)
Benzoic acid (C)
Unknown

135.0
148.0
122.1
None

Results for the method of mixed melting points:

a) With what compound did you mix your unknown?
Cannot be determined.
b) What is the observed melting point range of your compound?
36oC to 142oC
c) What is the name of your unknown?
Cannot be determined.

QUESTIONS
1. Why must you allow the oil bath to cool between melting point determinations?
The oil bath is cooled before repeating the steps so that the temperature of the oil bath is
below than the expected melting points. Then the oil bath needs to be heated slowly for the
sample to be melted. During the heating, starting and ending of melting can be observed.
Results can be more accurate since the average melting point is calculated from the starting
and ending of melting. Also, if the oil bath is not cooled, the sample may melt directly once it
is placed into the oil bath.
a) If you performed a melting point experiment on the same compound in San Francisco
and on top of Mt. Everest, would your result differ? Explain.
No, the results are similar. This is because normal atmosphere pressure does not
significantly affect the melting point.
b) If you performed a boiling point experiment on the same compound in San Francisco
and on top of Mt. Everest, would your result differ? Explain.
Yes, the boiling point is lower on top of Mt. Everest. The boiling point of a liquid is
the temperature at which the vapor pressure of liquid equals the surrounding
atmospheric pressure. Since the boiling point is dependent upon atmospheric
pressure, a liquid will boil at different temperatures depending on its height above the
sea level, which is boiling at lower temperature on the top of Mt. Everest because of
the lower surrounding atmospheric pressure.

126.4
120.8 +
112.4 +
104 +

2. Cocaine melts at 98oC and glucose melts at 146oC. As chemist for the government it is your
task to quickly identify the content of three vials. One contains pure cocaine, another pure
glucose, and the third a mixture of cocaine and glucose. How would you accomplish your
assignment?
By determine the melting points of each content and compare to the handbook value. The
mixture of cocaine and glucose should give a broad and lowered melting point range.
3. Suppose you determine the melting point of cortisone (a hormone) to be 230 oC. Your two
neighbors obtain values of 226oC and 233oC. Why might their values differ from your value?
There might be some errors during obtaining the melting point, such as parallax error when
observing the thermometer, possible math errors in calculations and human error when
observing the sample through the oil bath.

DISCUSSION
The first part of the experiment is the boiling point of three liquids where the experimental value
for methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol is averagely 67C, 78C and 80.2C. When
compared with the handbook values, the experimental values almost fit the actual values. Thus,
we can conclude that as the number of carbon increase, the boiling point would also increase.
Meanwhile, in the second part of the experiment, the values of melting point for the solids of
cinnamic acid, cholesterol, benzoic acid, and unknown differ in a wide range from the actual
handbook values. Due to that, the unknown cannot be identified. There could be possible errors
that occurred during the experiment.
According to the handbook values, the experimental values for boiling point differ only +/- 1 and
+/-2. The values are acceptable because the percentage error would only be of a small value. For
example, methanol percentage error would be:
error =

64.767
100=3.55
64.7

(Equation 1)

Meanwhile, the experimental values for melting point of the solids differ with as much as +/-45.
It would result in a high percentage error. For example, cholesterol percentage error would be:

error =

148120.8
100=18.38
148

(Equation 2)

According to the Appalachian State University research (2016), it stated that in most cases, a
percent error or difference of less than 10% will be acceptable. If the comparison shows a
difference of more than 10%, there is a great likelihood that some mistake has occurred, and the
lab should be look back over to find the source of errors. The unknown, which is a mixture of
either two from the solids prepared, has to be identified. However, because of certain errors that
occurred, the accuracy of the melting point values are not accurate. Thus, the identification of the
unknown will definitely be affected.
Each element and compound contains its own boiling and melting points. According to an article
from Purdue University (2015), boiling point is the temperature at which its vapour pressure is
equal to the pressure of the gas above it. Melting point, on the other hand, is defined as the
temperature at which the solid melts to become a liquid. Both boiling and melting points provide
an illustration of the effect of noncovalent interactions. The principle involved is simple: the
stronger the noncovalent interactions between molecules, the more energy are required, in the
form of heat, to break them apart. Significantly, the higher the boiling or melting points, the
stronger the noncovalent intermolecular forces. In the case of this experiment, in determining the
boiling points, the sample liquid used are hydrocarbons. More carbons means a greater surface
area possible for hydrophobic interaction, and thus higher boiling points.

Figure 1: Methanol Structure

Figure 2: Ethanol Structure

Figure 3: Isopropyl Alcohol

Structure

From

observing

the

structure of the three liquid

above,

the

number of carbon increases;

thus, the amount of heat

energy required to break the

samples

intermolecular bonds are higher. That explains why the boiling point for methanol is the lowest
while isopropyl alcohol has the highest.
In the second part of the experiment, determining the melting points; as heat is added to the
solid, the solid eventually changes to a liquid. This occurs as molecules acquire enough energy to
overcome the intermolecular forces previously binding them together in an orderly crystalline
lattice. According to H. Hart from Clemson University (2012), melting does not occur
instantaneously, because molecules must absorb the energy and then physically break the binding
forces. Typically the outside of a crystal will melt faster than the inside, because it takes time for
heat to penetrate. One of the characteristics of a pure solid is its melting range. The Encyclopedia
Britannica defined melting range as the span of temperature from the point at which the crystals
first begin to liquefy to the point at which the entire sample is liquid. Most pure organics melt
over a narrow temperature range of 1-2 , if heated slowly enough. Impure samples will
normally have melting ranges that are both larger (>1 ) and begin lower. Also, a substance
generally cannot be observed to melt at a higher temperature than its melting point unless
something is wrong with the procedure or the equipment.
However, from the results of the experiment, the data collected from different groups showed a
wide melting range as much as 40-60 . Definitely, some errors would have causes this false
value. One of the error that may occur is heating the sample too fast. According to a research
from the College of Southern Idaho, a heating rate of 1 to 2 degrees per minute would give good

results. Going faster than five degrees per minute virtually guarantees poor results in most cases.
To avoid this error, it is advisable to have extra samples prepared ahead of time. Run the first
sample at a high rate of heating to get an approximate melting point range. Then repeat the
procedure but with a slow rate of heating as the expected melting point is approaching.
Another possible error could be human error. There could be a parallax error when taking the
reading on the thermometer. Meanwhile, during the melting point procedure, there could be an
error in recording when the solid starts melting as it is heated in an oil bath. The density and
colour of the oil makes it difficult to notice the moment the solid melts; thus, resulting in an
accurate reading of melting range and subsequently, the melting point as well. To avoid this
error, a few readings is taken and the best fits with the handbook value should be taken. Another
way is by having another student to identify when the solid starts to melt because with the same
student taking the reading would cause the same error with every sample.
The last possible error is that different groups have different observations and different data.
Since the procedure included the use of data from other lab groups, this would have a large effect
on the results. Although the use of averages minimizes variability in the data, but the average is
far different from the actual handbook values. Since each group identify different moment for the
solid to melt, this error would have a direct impact on the accuracy of the melting range values.
In conclusion, the purpose of this experiment to determine the boiling point of a liquid is
achieved, but the purpose to determine the melting point of a solid is not achieved. From the
experiment, the boiling point increases as the number of carbon in hydrocarbons increases.
Meanwhile, the melting point of the unknown cannot be identified due to some errors in
determining the melting points of the other sample solids.

CONCLUSION
As the number of carbon in hydrocarbons increases, the value of the boiling point increases.
The melting point of the unknown could not be identified due to some errors during the
experiment.

REFERENCES

Bodner Research Web. Melting Point, Freezing Point, Boiling Point. Purdue University. Web. 16
June 2016. Adapted from:
http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch14/melting.php
College of Southern Idaho. (n.d.). Melting point tips and guidelines. [Online]. Retrieved on 10
June 2016 from: http://www.csi.edu/ip/physci/faculty/rex/MPTips.htm
Department of Physics and Astronomy. Labs- Error Analysis. Appalachian State University.
Web. 16 June 2016. Adapted from: http://physics.appstate.edu/undergraduateprograms/laboratory/resources/error-analysis
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Melting Point. 28 March 2016. Web. 16 June 2016. Adapted from:
http://global.britannica.com/science/melting-point
H. Hart. Melting Point Determination. Clemson University. 4 April 2012. Web. 16 June 2016.
Adapted from: http://www.clemson.edu/ces/chemistry/organic/Labs/2270Docs/MeltingPoint.pdf
Pahlavan. (n.d.). Melting point determination. [Online]. Retrieved on 10 June 2016 from:
http://swc2.hccs.edu/pahlavan/2423L1.pdf
Purdue

University.

Boiling

Point.

Web.

https://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/liquids/boil.html

16

June

2016.

Adapted

from: