Question

I have a mixture of 3 compounds: a is acidic, b is basic and n is nonacidic. If I treat my mixture with aqueous NaOH, which compound(s) will remain in the organic phase?

1) a only
2) only
3) n only
4) a and b
5) a and n
6) b and n
7) a, b, and n

Answer 1

When a mixture of compounds is treated with aqueous NaOH, only the acidic compound will remain in the organic phase.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a mixture of compounds is treated with aqueous NaOH, the acidic compound will react with the base to form a salt and water. In this case, compound a is acidic, so it will react with NaOH. Compound b is basic, and compound n is nonacidic. Since basic compounds do not react with NaOH, only compound a will remain in the organic phase after treatment with aqueous NaOH. Therefore, the correct answer is option 1) a only.