[dahnosaur]

Hello,

I am going over some questions of this lab I did this past week and I'm in a bit of a stump. The question asks how I would differentiate between a water and organic solvent mixture during a liquid liquid extraction experiment. I do not have the densities and both liquids are colorless. I am asked to identify which layer is on top or bottom.

I recognize that if densities are known, then the liquid with the lower density is simply on top, and if I had different colors for liquids then they would just be separated in the separatory funnel.

The only thing I could come up with was adding the water and organic solvent at different times, and taking note of both consistencies or any physical characteristics that they differ on before I mixed/shook them in the funnel... Any other insight on how I would differentiate between the two? Thank you in advance to any helpers!

[408]

Take a drop of the unknown layer and add it to water.  If it dissolves it is the aqueous layer.  If it does not, it is the organic.

[curiouscat]

Another thought: Add some water and note which layer increases in volume.