PROCESSING THE DATA
1. After finding the mass of the distillate by subtracting the mass of the graduated cylinder from the mass of the graduated cylinder + distillate, calculate the density of each fraction.
2. Using the density table given, determine the % ethanol corresponding to the density of each fraction. Record these values.
3. Using the values of % ethanol obtained in the previous step, determine the % water for each fraction.
4. What is the primary component of the first fraction you collected? Explain why it is not pure.
5. Did the density of the fractions increase or decrease as the experiment progressed? Explain.
6. What happened to the % of ethanol in the collected fractions as the experiment progressed? What happened to the % of water?
7. What could be done to subsequently increase the purity of the ethanol (reduce the water) in the first fraction? Explain.
8. You found (and recorded on your graph) the initial boiling temperature of the mixture. Is this value lower or higher than the normal boiling temperature of pure ethanol (79°C)?