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Experiment
DeterminationofMeltingandBoilingPoints
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Objectives
1) Todeterminemeltingpointandboilingpointofunknowncompounds.
2) Toidentifyasolidunknownbymeasuringmixedmeltingpoints.
3) Toproperlyusegeneralapparatusinorganicchemistrylaboratory.
Introduction
The melting point of a compound is the temperature at which the solid phase is in
equilibrium with the liquid phase. A solid compound changes to a liquid when the molecules
acquire enough energy to overcome the forces holding them together in an orderly crystalline
lattice.Formostorganiccompounds,theseintermolecularforcesarerelativelyweak.
Themeltingpointrangeisdefinedasthespanoftemperaturefromthepointatwhichthe
crystalsfirstbegintoliquefytothepointatwhichtheentiresampleisliquid.Mostpureorganic
compoundsmeltoveranarrowtemperaturerangeof12C.
The presence of a soluble impurity almost always causes a decrease in the melting point
expected for the pure compound and a broadening of the melting point range. In order to
understandtheeffectsofimpuritiesonmeltingpointbehavior,considerthemeltingpointmass
percent composition diagram for two different fictitious organic compounds, X and Y, shown in
Figure1.Theverticalaxisrepresentstemperatureandthehorizontalaxisrepresentsvaryingmass
percentcompositionsofXandY.

Figure1.Meltingpointmass
percentcompositiondiagram

148

142
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Bothcompoundshavesharpmeltingpoints.CompoundXmeltsat150C,asshownonthe
left vertical axis, and Y melts at 148 C, as shown on the right vertical axis. As compound X is
added to pure Y, the melting point of the mixture decreases along curve CB until a minimum
temperatureof130Cisreached.PointBcorrespondsto40masspercentXand60masspercent
YandiscalledtheeutecticcompositionforcompoundXandY.Here,bothsolidXandsolidYare
inequilibriumwiththeliquid.Theeutectictemperatureof 130Cisthelowestpossiblemelting
pointforamixtureofXandY.Attemperaturesbelow130C,mixturesofXandYexisttogether
onlyinsolidform.
Considera100gmixturecomposedof20gofXand80gofY.Inthismixture,Xactsas
animpurityinY.Asthe mixtureisheated,thetemperaturerisestotheeutectictemperatureof
130C.Atthistemperature,XandYbegintomelttogetheratpointB,theeutecticcomposition
of40mass percentXand60percentY. Thetemperatureremainsconstantat130 Cuntilall20
gofXmelts.Attheeutectictemperature,XandYwillmeltintheratioof40partsXto60parts
Y.If20gofXmelts,then30gofYalsomelts(20gXx60/40ratio=30gY).Atthispoint,
theremaining50gofsolidYisinequilibriumwithamoltenmixtureoftheeutecticcomposition.
Asmoreheatisappliedtothemixture,thetemperaturebeginstorise,andtheremainingY
beginstomelt.Ycontinuestomeltasthetemperatureincreases,shownbycurveBC.
Finally, at 142 C, point C, where the liquid composition is 20 mass percent X and 80 mass
percent Y, all of Y is melted. At temperatures higher than 142 C, liquid X and liquid Y exist
togetherwithacompositionatwhichtheentiremixtureliquefiesis142C,6degreeslowerthan
themeltingpointofpureY.Also,themeltingpointrange130142Cisquitebroad.
Ifamixturehasexactlytheeutecticcompositionof40masspercentXand60masspercent
Y,themixtureshowsasharpmeltingpointat130C.Observingthismeltingpointcouldleadto
thefalseconclusionthatthemixtureisapurecompound.AdditionofeitherpureXorpureYto
the mixture causes an increase in the melting point, as indicated by curve BA or BC,
respectively.Observingthismeltingpointincreaseindicatesthattheoriginalsampleisnotpure.
Because the melting point of a compound is a physical constant, the melting point can be
helpful in determining the identity of an unknown compound. A good correlation between the
experimentally measured melting point of an unknown compound and the accepted melting
point of a known compound suggests that the compound may be the same. However, many
differentcompoundshavethesamemeltingpoint.
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Amixedmeltingpointcanbeusefulinconfirmingtheidentityofanunknowncompound.A
smallportionofaknowncompound,whosemeltingpointisknownfromthechemicalliterature,
ismixedwiththeunknowncompound.Ifthemeltingpointofthemixtureisthesameasthatof
the known compound, then the known and the unknown compounds may be identical. A
decrease in the melting point of the mixture and a broadening of the melting point range
indicatesthatthecompoundsarelikelytobedifferent.
Meltingpointscanalsobeusedtoassesscompoundpurity.Generally,ameltingpointrange
of 5 C or more indicates that a compound is impure. Purification of the compound causes the
melting point range to narrow and the melting point to increase. Repeated purification may be
necessary before the melting point range narrows to 12 C and reaches its maximum value,
indicatingthatthecompoundispure.
In practice, measuring the melting point of a crystalline compound involves several steps.
First,afinelypowderedcompoundispackedintoameltingpointcapillarytubetoadepthof12
mm. Then the capillarytube containing the sample compound is inserted into the melting point
apparatus.
If the melting point of the compound is unknown, it is convenient to first measure the
approximatemeltingpointofthecompound,calledtheorientationmeltingpoint.Thesampleis
heatedatarateof1015Cperminuteuntilitmelts.Thenthemeltingpointapparatusiscooled
to approximately 15 C below the orientation melting point. A new sample is heated, increasing
thetemperatureatamuchslowerrateof12Cperminute,toaccuratelymeasurethemelting
point. A slow heating rate is necessary because heating a sample too rapidly may cause the
thermometerreadingtodifferfromtheactualtemperatureoftheheatsource.
Ifthemeltingpointofthesampleisknown,thesamplecanbequicklyheatedtowithin10
15Cofitsmeltingpoint.Thentheheatingratecanbeslowedtoincrease12Cperminuteuntil
thesamplemelts.
Errorsinobservedmeltingpointsoftenoccurduetoapoorheattransferratefromtheheat
source to the compound. One cause of poor heat transfer rate is the placement of too much
sample into the capillary tube. Finely ground particles of the compound are also necessary for
goodheattransfer.Iftheparticlesaretoocoarse,theydonotpackwell,causingairpocketsthat
slowheattransfer.
Sometimes slight changes, such as shrinking and sagging, occur in the crystalline structure
of the sample before melting occur. Also, traces of solvent may be present due to insufficient
drying and may appear as droplets on the outside surface of the sample. This phenomenon is
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called sweating and should not be mistaken for melting. The initial melting point temperature
alwayscorrespondstothefirstappearanceofliquidwithinthebulkofthesampleitself.
Somecompoundsdecomposeatorneartheirmeltingpoints.Thisdecompositionisusually
characterizedbyadarkeninginthecolorofthecompoundasitmelts.Ifthedecompositionand
melting occur over a narrow temperature range of 12 C, the melting point is used for
identificationandasanindicationofsamplepurity.Themeltingpointofsuchcompoundislisted
in the literature accompanied by d or decomp. If the sample melts over a large temperature
rangewithdecomposition,thedatacannotbeusedforidentificationpurposes.
Some compounds pass directly from solid to vapor phase without going through the liquid
phase, a process called sublimation. When sublimation occurs, the sample at the bottom of the
capillarytubevaporizesandrecrystallizeshigherupinthecapillarytube.Asealedcapillarytubeis
used to take the melting point of a compound that sublimes at or below its melting point. The
literaturereportsthemeltingpointforthesecompoundsaccompaniedbys,sub,orsubl.
Boiling points are also useful physical properties for indicating the purity of an organic
compound. Boiling point is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals
atmospheric pressure or some other applied pressure. A boiling point is commonly measured
during a distillation, in which a liquid is heated to form vapor, and then the vapor is condensed
and collected in another container. The boiling temperature is measured as distillation vapor
covers the bulb of a thermometer suspended above the boiling liquid. Typically, the most
accurate boiling point measurement is the relatively constant temperature achieved during a
distillation.

ExperimentalProcedure
PartA MeltingPoint
1) Obtainasamplefromyourinstructor.RecordsampleID.
2) Putthesampleintoacapillarytube(about12mminheight).
3) Measure the melting point using the apparatus as shown in Figure 2. Attach the capillary
tubetoathermometerwithsewingthread.Place2530mLofparaffinoilorglycerolina50
mLbeaker.
4) Turnonthehotplateandobservethemeltingpoint. Useacleanglassrodtostirtheoilto
ensureauniformheatdistribution.
5) Recordthemeltingpointrange(forexample7073C)

orglycerol

Figure2.Apparatussetupformeltingpointdetermination

6) Basedontheobservedmeltingpoint,select2compoundsinthetablebelowthataremost
likelytobeyourunknown.

7) Verifytheidentityofyourunknownbymeasuringthemixedmeltingpointwitheachofthe
selected known compounds. The mixture can be made by putting together an equal
quantity of the unknown and the known compounds on a watch glass. Use a spatula to
thoroughly blend the mixture. Record the melting point range and identify the unknown
compounds.

Compound mp(C)
Resorcinol
Acetanilide
Citricacid
Salicylicacid
Oxalicacid
4tertButylphenol
110112
113116
153159
158161
99101
96101
Thermometer
Hotplate
Clamp
ParaffinOil
Sewingthread
Sample in
capillarytube
50mL Beaker
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PartBBoilingPoint
1) Obtainaliquidunknownfromyourinstructor.Recordthesamplenumber.
2) Attach a clean and empty test tube to a thermometer with sewing thread. Put an empty
capillary tube in the test tube so that the open end of capillary is down. Set up the
apparatusasinFigure3.
3) Ensurethatthetemperatureoftheparaffinoilisbelow50C.Place23mLofsampleinthe
testtube.
4) Turn on the hot plate and use a clean glass rod to stir the paraffin oil to ensure a uniform
heatdistribution.
5) Recordthetemperaturewhenrapidairbubblescomeoutfromthecapillary.Atthisstage,
the vapor pressure of the unknown inside the capillary is higher than the atmospheric
pressure.

Figure3.Apparatussetupforboilingpointdetermination

6) Turn off the hot plate and carefully insert a ceramic tile between the beaker and the
hotplate.Alternatively,youmayreplacethehotplatewiththeonethathasnotbeenused.
However, the thermometer bulb and the content in the test tube should be submerged in
theparaffinoilatalltimes.
7) As the temperature decreases, air bubbling will gradually slow down. Record the
temperaturewhenyouseethelastbubblecomeoutandsomeliquidgoesintothecapillary
Test tube
Capillary
tube
Capillary
Close end
Capillary
Openend
Thermometer
Hotplate
Clamp
ParaffinOil
Sewing thread
Sample in
test tube
50 mL Beaker
Capillarytube
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tube.Atthispoint,thevaporpressureofthecompoundinsidethecapillaryisequaltothe
atmosphericpressure.
8) Reporttheboilingpointtoyourinstructor.Ifarepetitionisneeded,allowtheparaffinoilto
cool,andreplacethecapillarytubewithanewone.Addmoreliquidsampleifnecessary.

LaboratorySafetyPrecaution
1) Wearsafetygogglesandlabcoatatalltimeswhileworkinginthelaboratory.
2) Manychemicalsarepotentiallyharmful.Preventcontactwithyoureyes,skin,andclothing.
Avoidingestinganyofthereagents.
3) Unknownsmaybeflammable,toxic,andirritating.
4) Capillarytubesarefragileandeasilybroken.
5) Washyourhandsthoroughlywithsoapordetergentbeforeleavingthelaboratory.
6) Takecaretoavoidburningyourselfwhenusingparaffinoil,glycerolandelectrichotplates.