Question

for an organic compound dissolved in water with an extraction coefficient >0 (more soluble in organic solvent than water), more of the compound will be extracted into:

Answer 1

An organic compound with a higher extraction coefficient will be more soluble in an organic solvent than in water, therefore more of the compound will be extracted into the organic phase.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an organic compound is dissolved in water with an extraction coefficient greater than zero (indicating it is more soluble in an organic solvent than water), more of the compound will be extracted into the organic phase.

This is because organic compounds are typically insoluble in water, except for a few highly-polar compounds. As the alkyl group in organic compounds increases, their hydrophobic character also increases, making them less soluble in water. On the other hand, increasing the polar group in the compound increases its hydrophilic character, making it more soluble in water.

Therefore, when an organic compound is more soluble in an organic solvent than water, it will preferentially distribute itself into the organic phase.

Answer 2

An organic compound with an extraction coefficient greater than zero will be more readily extracted into the organic phase due to the compound's higher solubility in nonpolar solvents compared to water.

Step-by-step explanation:

For an organic compound dissolved in water with an extraction coefficient greater than zero, meaning it is more soluble in an organic solvent than in water, more of the compound will be extracted into the organic phase. This is due to the substance's higher affinity for the nonpolar environment of the organic solvent, which aligns with the principle that like dissolves like. Organic solvents typically dissolve hydrophobic, nonpolar compounds more effectively than water, which is a polar solvent. The aqueous phase, being polar, generally stabilizes polar or ionic compounds. When extraction is performed, the solute will distribute itself between two immiscible liquids preferentially migrating into the phase where it is more soluble. In environmental science, this concept helps explain phenomena like biomagnification, where pesticides accumulate in organisms at higher trophic levels due to their solubility in fatty tissues over the aqueous environment.