You are provided with a mixture of naphthalene and ammonium chloride by your teacher. Suggest an activity to separate them with a well labelled diagram.
Both naphthalene and ammonium chloride sublime upon heating. Therefore, sublimation technique cannot be used to affect the separation. The separation can be done by dissolving the mixture in completely dry or anhydrous ether taken in a tube. Naphthalene being an organic substance, dissolves in ether whereas ammonium chloride does not dissolve as it is of inorganic nature. The solution formed is immediately filtered (For details, please consult next chapter). Ammonium chloride is left on the filter paper as residue. It is dried and collected. The filtrate is transferred to a china dish and kept in the atmosphere for sometime. Ether readily evaporates as it is a low boiling liquid. The white residue left in the dish is naphthalene. It can be removed and dried. For more details, please consult next chapter.