COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Jeanel C. Samonte, Ma. Carmela L. Sales, Joseph M. Santiago, Reiniel Marie S. Sia, Czarina Marla S.
Tagulinao
Group 7

2K Medical Technology

Organic Chemistry Laboratory

ABSTRACT
Organic compounds were investigated to differentiate the properties of each sample. The physical state
at room temperature, odor and color of the organic compound were noted, solubility and miscibility were tested
using the following reagents: water, 5% NaOH solution, and 5% HCl solution, and the acidity, basicity and
neutrality of the organic compounds were classified using the litmus paper. Ignition test was also conducted,
taking note of the flame as luminous and non-luminous or as non-flammable. From the experiment, it can be
concluded that organic compounds have different properties and organic compounds respond to different tests
which affect their type of bond and functional groups.

INTRODUCTION
Organic compounds make use of carbon in
some way, but not all carbon-based molecules are
regarded as organic. Carbon dioxide and carbon
monoxide, for example, are relatively simple and
are usually regarded as outside of the organic group
despite their use of carbon.
Apart from their complexity, organic
compounds are of interest because of their role in
the chemistry of life on Earth. All living things are
built from organic compounds, and every known
biological process depends on their reactions.
Organic compounds also play a big role in the
world's energy economy. Much of the world's
energy is derived from the controlled burning of
organic compounds, known as hydrocarbons, to
generate electricity and power vehicles.
Hydrocarbons are also used to produce synthetic
materials such as plastic. Some organic compounds
occur naturally and can be extracted from their
source in an almost pure form. Other compounds
are considered synthetic and have to be built up
from other molecules, such as most polymers.
Hydrocarbons are the simplest organic
compounds. Containing only carbon and hydrogen,
they can be straight-chain, branched chain, or cyclic
molecules. An aliphatic hydrocarbon is a compound
containing carbon and hydrogen joined together in a
straight chain, branched trains, non-aromatic ring, it

may be saturated or unsaturated. Aromatic

hydrocarbons are those which contain one or more
benzene ring, and they are unsaturated.
Organic compounds have different
properties. They all may vary in their physical state
at room temperature, color, odor and solubility in
different reagents. This experiment aims to
differentiate organic compounds in terms of,
physical properties, solubility in different solution
and behavior towards ignition.
In this experiment, the objective is to
differentiate organic compounds in terms of: (a)
certain intrinsic physical properties, (b) behavior
towards ignition and (c) infrared spectra of their
functional groups.
METHODOLOGY

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Physical State, Color, and Odor of Samples
A physical property is a property that does not
affect the chemical identity of a compound. It can
be observed without changing the samples
composition of matter. Organic compounds are
mostly liquid. Color in an organic system implies
the existence of highly delocalized electrons,
usually caused by alternating single and double

bonds. Volatile organic compounds generally have

characteristic odors.
Table 1. Intrinsic Properties of Samples
Sample

Cyclohexan
e
DCM

Physical
State at
RT
Liquid
Liquid

Color

Odor

Clear
Colorless
Clear
Colorless
Clear
Colorless
ReddishOrange

Sweet

Ethanol

Liquid

Phenol

Liquid

Benzoic
Acid
Ethyl
Acetate
Ethylamine

Solid

White

Liquid

Clear
Colorless
Clear
Colorless

Liquid

Sweet
PerfumeLike
Mightybond
Odor
Faint
Odor
Fruity
Odor
Gas-like
odor

Sample
Cyclohexane
DCM
Ethanol
Phenol
Benzoic
Acid
Ethyl
Acetate
Ethylamine

H2O
Immiscible

5% NaOH
Immiscible

5% HCl
Immiscible

Immiscible
Miscible
Miscible
Insoluble

Immiscible
Miscible
Immiscible
Soluble

Immiscible
Miscible
Miscible
Insoluble

Miscible

Miscible

Miscible

Miscible

Miscible

Miscible

The samples that are polar are ethanol, phenol, ethyl

acetate and ethylamine. They all dissolved in water.
Ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethylamine are miscible
in NaOH. However, benzoic acid is insoluble in
water but soluble in NaOH indicating that it has an
acidic functional group which is the carboxylic acid.
Ethanol, phenol, ethyl acetate and ethylamine are
miscible in HCl while benzoic acid is insoluble in
HCl. They behave as bases only when in aqueous
solution.

Based on this table, most of the hydrocarbons are

clear colorless. This is because they only contain
sigma bonds. The phenol becomes reddish-orange
and white crystals for benzoic acid upon oxidation.
The samples all have characteristic odors except for
cyclohexane and DCM which have a sweet odor.
Ethanol has a perfume-like odor, phenol has a
mighty-bond odor, benzoic acid has a faint odor,
ethyl acetate has a fruity odor and ethylamine has a
gas-like odor. Benzoic being solid, has the strongest
interactive force.

C. Reaction of Samples with Litmus Paper

B. Test for Solubility Properties of Samples in

H2O, 5% NaOH solution, and 5% HCl Solution

Sample

The most common solvent for ionic compounds is

water. Water is polar, so the sample that is soluble in
water is also polar. Most organic compounds are
insoluble in water. The solubility of the samples in
5% NaOH solution of a water insoluble sample
indicates that theres an acidic functional group
present. However, compounds that behave as bases
in aqueous solution are detected by their solubility
in 5% HCl solution. The solubility of the sample to
the solvent is related to the intermolecular forces of
attraction during the solution process.
Table 2. Solubility of Sample in Different Solvents

Reaction with litmus paper of water-soluble

samples indicate acidity, basicity or neutrality.
Acidic solution turns blue litmus paper to red and a
basic solution turns red litmus paper to blue.
Neutral solution is characterized by blue to blue
litmus paper and red to red litmus paper.

Table 3. Acidity and Basicity of Samples

Cyclohexane
DCM
Ethanol
Phenol
Benzoic acid
Ethyl Acetate
Ethylamine

Reaction w/ Litmus
Paper
Blue to Red
Blue to Red
Blue to Red
Red to Blue

Based on the table, ethanol, phenol, and ethyl

acetate are acidic while ethylamine is basic.
Cyclohexane, DCM, and benzoic acid were not
subjected to the litmus paper because of their
immiscible property with water.

D. Ignition Test
The ignition test indicates the presence of
unsaturated or high carbon to hydrogen ratio. The
degree of luminosity can be assessed by the
presence of luminous fame. The aromatic
compounds burn with sooty flame due to the
incomplete combustion, which causes the formation
of an unburned carbon. The higher the degree of
luminosity, the higher the number of carbon atoms,
and the higher the carbon:hydrogen ratio. In terms
of degree of luminosity: aromatic compound >
unsaturated hydrocarbon > saturated hydrocarbon.
Complete combustion is indicated by a nonluminous flame. Incomplete combustion is indicated
by a luminous flame; carbon is not completely
oxidized.
Cyclohexane
DCM
Ethanol
Phenol
Benzoic acid
Ethyl acetate
Ethylamine

Ignition Test
Flammable, Luminous
Flammable, NonLuminous
Flammable, Luminous
Non-flammable
Non-flammable
Flammable, Luminous
Flammable, Luminous

Based on the table, cyclohexane, ethanol, ethyl

acetate and ethylamine are flammable with
luminous flame while DCM is flammable with nonluminous flame. Phenol and benzoic acid are both
non-flammable.

CONCLUSION
Specific compounds were examined for a
comparative investigation to differentiate the
properties of each sample. Organic compounds have
different physical properties which are intrinsic. In
the experiment, the dissolution in certain solvents
.

involved physical or chemical interaction which

were discussed in the results and discussion portion.
Water solubility differ due to their varying
polarities. Ignition of the compound brought a
chemical change, some decomposed and blackened
while others burst into flames. From here, the
students found out that organic and their properties
are distinct from one another and that the types of
bond and functional group of these compound affect
those properties.

LIST OF REFERENCES
[No Author] 2011. Molecules and Color.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/Molec
ulesandColour_tcm4-723702.ppt
[No Author and Date] A Comparison of Organic
and Inorganic Compounds.
http://web.gccaz.edu/~jasij48461/chm230/organicinorganic.pdf