Chemistry A2 · Equilibria. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.
Some pairs of liquids, such as water and hexane, do not mix. They are immiscible and form two layers. If a solute is shaken with both, it spreads between the two layers until a dynamic equilibrium is reached.
The partition coefficient, Kpc, is the ratio of the concentrations of the solute in the two solvents at equilibrium. It is constant at a given temperature and has no units. It does not depend on the volumes used or on how much solute is added.
Its size depends on polarity. A non-polar solute prefers the non-polar organic layer, so Kpc (organic/water) is large. A polar solute, or one that hydrogen bonds with water, prefers water.
Students divide the two masses without dividing each by its own volume. When the two layers have different volumes, the ratio of masses is not the ratio of concentrations.
Answer: 1.00 g of W is extracted into the ether (0.20 g stays in the water)
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