Experimental determination of the empirical formula for sodium salicylate, Nax(C7H5O3)y, using colorimetry and cation exchange. A Beer's Law plot is prepared for salicylate using 0.0050 M salicylic acid solution. Colorimetric analysis is performed on the salicylate ion in the form of an aqueous ferric complex, which is intensely violet-red, using a simple, inexpensive colorimeter constructed from readily available electronic parts and PVC pipe. Determination of sodium content is conducted using cation exchange, using simple re-usable exchange columns, followed by titration with OH-. The procedure is involved, yet has been conducted by high school chemistry students as a lab final.
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