The data in Table 2 was used as a generalized baseline for the melting points of the unknown compound. These melting points were then compared to the known melting ranges found in the literature of the possible compounds. The fast run melting range for the basic component of 112.2 °C - 188.7 °C was compared with the melting ranges of the possible basic compounds. The melting range of meta-nitroaniline was the most similar to the unknown base melting range. This allowed for a slow run trail for the comparison of the basic component with meta-nitroaniline. This resulted in a melting range that was very similar to the melting range of meta-nitroaniline from the literature. This process was used for the acidic and neutral components. Seen in Table 3, for the acidic component, the fast melting range of 121.9 °C - 125.5 °C was close to the known literature melting ranges of both 2-naphthol and benzoic acid.…show more content… A characteristic of an impure compound is a melting range much lower than the melting range of the pure compound. This idea allowed for the identification of the acidic component to be benzoic acid. The melting range of the 50/50 combination of the unknown compound and 2-naphthol, 104.7 °C – 120.1 °C, was lower than the literature known melting range of 2-napthol of 121°C – 123 °C.1 This means that the unknown acidic component was acting as an impurity in the pure 2-naphthol, greatly decreasing the melting range. Impurities in a sample lead to a depression of the melting point because impurities disrupt the crystalline lattice of a compound. This disruption allows for intermolecular bonds of the compound to be broken more easily compared to an undisrupted form of the compound, leading to a depression in the melting
