Your question:

We did this experiment in the lab:

1. Put tea leaves in Soxhlet thimble

6. Filtering off the hot slurry on a Buchner funnel

7. Add 4M HCL then transfer this mixture to the separating funnel

2. Second part is liquid liquid extraction and why?

3. What is the organic layer and how we can extract it?

8. Why we add Magnesium sulphate?

Many thanks

Step-by-Step Tea Leaf Extraction Answers and Explanation:

Step-by-Step Explanation of the Tea Leaf Extraction Experiment (450 words)

• The extract was then transferred to a flask containing magnesium oxide. This initiates the liquid-liquid extraction stage.

• Magnesium oxide acts as a drying agent, absorbing any remaining water from the ethanol extract. Water can interfere with subsequent extraction steps, so its removal is crucial.

• You then added 4M HCl and transferred the mixture to a separating funnel. This step serves two purposes:

  • Acidification: Adding HCl changes the pH of the mixture, protonating certain compounds like caffeine and making them more soluble in the organic layer.

6. Magnesium Sulfate Drying:

• Magnesium sulfate, a drying agent, is added to the dichloromethane extract to remove any remaining moisture. Residual water can affect the purity and stability of the extracted compounds.

4. Magnesium oxide: Magnesium oxide is used as a drying agent to remove water from the extract, ensuring efficient subsequent extraction and preventing contamination.

5. Buchner funnel: The Buchner funnel, used with vacuum filtration, helps separate the solid magnesium oxide from the liquid extract efficiently. This is important for obtaining a clean and concentrated extract.