Question

If you had used dichloromethane instead of diethyl ether for your extraction, which of your phases would be the aqueous phase?

1) Dichloromethane phase
2) Diethyl ether phase
3) Aqueous phase
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

Using dichloromethane in an extraction does not change the aqueous phase; it remains the water and water-soluble compound layer, while dichloromethane forms the organic phase.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you had used dichloromethane instead of diethyl ether for your extraction, the aqueous phase would still be the aqueous phase. Dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) is a short-chain haloalkane that is commonly used as a hydrophobic solvent in chemistry, meaning it does not mix well with water and forms a separate layer. When using dichloromethane in an extraction, typically, the dichloromethane phase would be the organic phase (non-aqueous), and the aqueous phase would be composed mainly of water and water-soluble compounds. Therefore, the correct answer is 3) Aqueous phase.