[friedpork]

Hello. I will be synthesising isoamyl acetate in my lab this week. One of the steps requires me to wash the isoamyl acetate with 2x25 ml of water, 2 x 15 ml of 5% NaHCO3 and with 15 ml saturated NaCl. I to separate the layers with a separatory funnel. I need to decide which layer I need to save each time in each wash.

So which layer do i need to save in the water wash, the sodium bicarbonate wash and the NaCl wash??

I know that teh density of isoamyl acetate is about 0.876 g/ml. So for the water wash, should the layer i save be the top layer?
Same goes for the 5% NaHCO3 since it is aqueous I think I need the top lyaer as well.
I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of the saturated NaCl is so I don't know which layer I need to keep. I'm going to say I need to keep the bottom just because I guessed it.

[discodermolide]

In all five extractions you need to keep the top layer. The saturated NaCl is there to remove any  traces of salts or water from the organic layer, giving you a cleaner product.