Port Augusta Secondary School – Investigations Folio
Task Title
Ester Preparation
Teacher
Year Level
Mr Loader
Due Date
Year 12
Student Name
Practical Date
Lab Partners
Assessment Conditions
Part A – Should be completed in class over the course of a double lesson. Ensure the teacher has checked how
you have completed this part so as to assess you against the practical skills.
Part B – Should be completed no later than two weeks after the completion of the practical work. You are to
work on this in your own time. Initial drafts should be submitted no later than one week after the
completion of the practical work.
Assessment of Practical Skills
Implement safe and ethical procedures?
Use of protective apparel (glasses, clothing, hair, footwear)
Handling of chemical species (safe handling and transfer, labelling, ventilation)
Follows experimental safety precautions (workspace, method, other people)
Use apparatus carefully and effectively?
Apparatus assembled correctly
Apparatus used correctly
Apparatus handled carefully
Implement well-organised procedures / Manage time appropriately?
Steps carried out sequentially
Investigation completed in a timely manner
A
B
C
D
E
A
B
C
D
E
A
B
C
D
E
Feedback
Final Grade
Part A – Practical Investigation
Purpose
To prepare an ester and to purify it.
Materials
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Quickfit apparatus
measuring cylinders (10, 25 mL)
ethanoic acid
3-methyl 1-butanol
concentrated sulfuric acid
boiling chips
20 mL sodium carbonate solution (0.1M
fused calcium chloride
small conical flask and stopper
2000C thermometer
Method
1. Measure 15 mL of the alcohol provided and 10 mL ethanoic acid into the 50 mL pear-shaped Quickfit flask.
2. Slowly add about 1 mL concentrated sulfuric acid and a few boiling chips.
3. Assemble the glassware for reflux.
4. Reflux the mixture for 30 minutes, adjusting the flame to ensure smooth boiling.
5. Allow flask and contents to cool.
6. Pour the cooled mixture into a separating funnel, which contains about 20 mL of water. Shake and allow the
layers to separate. Check which is the aqueous layer.
7. Collect the organic layer and wash it with about 20 mL sodium carbonate solution. Repeat this step until no
more effervescence occurs. **Take care with this step as pressure is built up due to carbon dioxide
release**.
8. Collect the organic layer and wash it with about 20 mL of distilled water.
9. Collect the organic layer in a small conical flask containing fused calcium chloride (a dehydrating agent).
Stopper, swirl and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
10. Decant the organic liquid into a clean, dry 50 mL pear-shaped flask and add boiling chips.
11. Assemble the glassware for distillation.
12. Distil the ester, recording the boiling range of the fraction collected. Do not distil all of the liquid. The boiling
points of the possible components of the mixture to be distilled are:
Boiling Point (0C)
Ethanoic acid
3-methyl 1butanol
Pure ester
Sulfuric acid
Teacher signature: ____________________________________________________
13. Record the appearance and odour of the ester
Date:
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Part B - Your final report should take the following format
Purpose
 State the purpose of the investigation clearly (This can be taken directly from the task sheet).
Materials
 List the apparatus or measuring instruments used (This can be taken directly from the task sheet).
Method
 Describe the steps involved in your investigation (This can be taken directly from the task sheet).
 Any diagrams/digital photographs should be clearly labelled.
Results
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Describe your observations for the following three stages of the experiment:
 Reflux: before, during and after reflux
 Isolation with water and with sodium carbonate solution
 Distillation description of product.
Record the boiling range of your distillate
Calculations
 Determine the yield of the ester produced
Interpretation and Evaluation:
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Write and equations for the esterification reaction.
State the systematic name of the ester formed.
Explain the purpose of the reflux, and distillation procedures.
Identify the species present in the pear-shaped flask at the end of reflux.
 State which of these species are soluble in water
 Hence explain the purpose of the addition of 20 mL water in step 6
 With the aid of an equation, explain the reason for adding the sodium carbonate solution in step 7.
This method often results in a poor yield of ester. State two reasons for a poor yield.
Identify significant safety concerns and the precaution taken to minimise the risk of accident
Conclusion
 Write a conclusion that is based on the purpose and the results of your investigation.
Observations Sheet
Before reflux
During reflux
After reflux
Isolation with water
Isolation with sodium carbonate
Before distillation
During distillation
After distillation
Teacher signature: ____________________________________________________
Date:
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A
Investigation
Analysis and
Evaluation
Application
Knowledge and
Understanding
B
C
D
E
Designs logical, coherent, and
detailed chemistry investigations.
Designs well-considered and clear
chemistry investigations.
Designs considered and generally
clear chemistry investigations.
Prepares the outline of one or more
chemistry investigations.
Identifies a simple procedure for a
chemistry investigation.
Critically and logically selects and
consistently and appropriately
acknowledges information about
chemistry and issues in chemistry from
a range of sources.
Logically selects and appropriately
acknowledges information about
chemistry and issues in chemistry from
different sources.
Selects with some focus, and mostly
appropriately acknowledges,
information about chemistry and issues
in chemistry from different sources.
Selects and may partly acknowledge
one or more sources of information
about chemistry or an issue in
chemistry.
Identifies a source of information about
chemistry or an issue in chemistry.
Manipulates apparatus and technological
tools carefully and highly effectively to
implement well-organised, safe, and
ethical investigation procedures.
Manipulates apparatus and
technological tools carefully and
mostly effectively to implement
organised, safe, and ethical
investigation procedures.
Manipulates apparatus and
technological tools generally carefully
and effectively to implement safe and
ethical investigation procedures.
Uses apparatus and technological tools
with inconsistent care and
effectiveness and attempts to
implement safe and ethical investigation
procedures.
Obtains, records, and displays findings
of investigations, using appropriate
conventions and formats accurately and
highly effectively.
Obtains, records, and displays findings
of investigations, using appropriate
conventions and formats mostly
accurately and effectively.
Critically and systematically analyses
data and their connections with
concepts, to formulate logical and
perceptive conclusions and make
relevant predictions.
Clearly and logically analyses data
and their connections with concepts, to
formulate consistent conclusions and
make mostly relevant predictions.
Analyses data and their connections
with concepts, to formulate generally
appropriate conclusions and make
simple predictions, with some
relevance.
Describes basic connections between
some data and concepts, and attempts
to formulate a conclusion and make a
simple prediction that may be relevant.
Attempts to connect data with
concepts, formulate a conclusion, and
make a prediction.
Critically and logically evaluates
procedures and suggests a range of
appropriate improvements.
Logically evaluates procedures and
suggests some appropriate
improvements.
Evaluates some procedures in
chemistry and suggests some
improvements that are generally
appropriate.
For some procedures, identifies
improvements that may be made.
Acknowledges the need for
improvements in one or more
procedures.
Applies chemistry concepts and
evidence from investigations to suggest
solutions to complex problems in new
and familiar contexts.
Applies chemistry concepts and
evidence from investigations to suggest
solutions to problems in new and
familiar contexts.
Applies chemistry concepts and
evidence from investigations to suggest
some solutions to basic problems in
new or familiar contexts.
Applies some evidence to describe
some basic problems and identify one
or more simple solutions, in familiar
contexts.
Identifies a basic problem and
attempts to identify a solution in a
familiar context.
Uses appropriate chemistry terms,
conventions, formulae, and equations
highly effectively.
Uses appropriate chemistry terms,
conventions, formulae, and equations
effectively.
Attempts to use some chemistry terms,
conventions, formulae, and equations
that may be appropriate.
Identifies some chemistry terms or
formulae.
Demonstrates initiative in applying
constructive and focused individual
and collaborative work skills.
Applies mostly constructive and
focused individual and collaborative
work skills.
Uses generally appropriate chemistry
terms, conventions, formulae, and
equations, with some general
effectiveness.
Applies generally constructive
individual and collaborative work skills.
Attempts individual work
inconsistently, and contributes
superficially to aspects of collaborative
work.
Shows emerging skills in individual and
collaborative work.
Consistently demonstrates a deep and
broad knowledge and understanding of
a range of chemistry concepts .
Demonstrates some depth and
breadth of knowledge and
understanding of a range of chemistry
concepts.
Demonstrates knowledge and
understanding of a general range of
chemistry concepts.
Demonstrates some basic knowledge
and partial understanding of chemistry
concepts.
Demonstrates some limited recognition
and awareness of chemistry concepts.
Uses knowledge of chemistry logically
to understand and explain social or
environmental issues.
Uses knowledge of chemistry with
some logic to understand and explain
one or more social or environmental
issues.
Identifies and explains some chemistry
information that is relevant to one or
more social or environmental issues.
Uses a variety of formats to
communicate knowledge and
understanding of chemistry coherently
and effectively.
Uses different formats to communicate
knowledge and understanding of
chemistry with some general
effectiveness.
Communicates basic information to
others using one or more formats.
Uses knowledge of chemistry
perceptively and logically to
understand and explain social or
environmental issues.
Uses a variety of formats to
communicate knowledge and
understanding of chemistry coherently
and highly effectively.
Obtains, records, and displays findings
of investigations, using generally
appropriate conventions and formats
with some errors but generally
accurately and effectively.
Obtains, records, and displays findings
of investigations, using conventions and
formats inconsistently, with
occasional accuracy and effectiveness.
Attempts to use apparatus and
technological tools with limited
effectiveness or attention to safe or
ethical investigation procedures.
Attempts to record and display some
descriptive information about an
investigation, with limited accuracy or
effectiveness.
Shows an emerging understanding that
some chemistry information is relevant
to social or environmental issues.
Attempts to communicate information
about chemistry.