[xanthiner14]

Hello all. Orgo is not my strong suit, so bear with me.

In one of my practice tests from prep course company x, there was a question which asks how you would best separate a fat from a fatty acid. I narrowed it down to (a) solvent extraction with a dilute acid or (b) solvent extraction with a dilute base.

I went with solvent extraction with a dilute base because a base would deprotonate the carboxylic acid, giving it a negative charge and thus making it more soluble in the aqueous phase, leaving a neutral fat in the organic phase. The answer, however, was solvent extraction with a dilute acid. How could this be the answer??? Does anyone else think that this is a mistake or am I getting something wrong? Please *delete me*!!!

[Doc Oc]

I would also have said base.

[408]

The answer is likely wrong.  Carboxylic acids are extracted with bases.

[PJGRAY]

The answer is most definately wrong. You definately extract into base first and then acidify the aqeous phase to be extracted with organic solvent.