Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Aspirin required practical help

so I'm in the process of producing aspirin and I have a pear shaped flask with salicyclic acid, conc. phosphoric acid and ethanoic anhydride and I'm told to heat it in a water bath with a condenser. only problem is I don't know how to use a quickfit condenser! :s Is it alright if someone tells me how right/wrong I am in thinking this:
(pretending it's laying horizontal)
Stick tubes in the glass tap-like things sticking out the bottom
One connects to a tap which will be turned on, the other into the sink.
The large flute like hole connects to the pear shaped flask with my substances being heated.

Obviously my wording is the worst, I just want to know if that's right. Dont' want to flood my substance :/

P.s. Don't suppose anyone can tell me how you would find how much a "minimum amount of solvent" is. Any calculations?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

alow

It should look like this:

Make sure the tube from the tap goes into the bottom.

Reply 2

Toasticide

Original post by alow

It should look like this:

Make sure the tube from the tap goes into the bottom.

ah thanks so much, i'd have almost certainly got it the wrong way round, thanks. Can't ask the teacher as they'll mark me down for not knowing this. Only got away with it because they only ordered one water bath which covered only half the class so im doing this bit tomorrow.