Question

In a reflux apparatus, why is it important for joints between glassware to be keck clipped and properly greased?

A. To ensure that water does not leak from the condenser.

B. It does not matter, as we are not collecting the vapor.

C. None of these answer choices are correct.

D. To ensure a tight seal to prevent the loss of solvent over the course of the reaction.

Answer 1

The reflux apparatus serves the purpose of speeding up the reaction with an attached condenser meaning none of the reactants escape in vapor state. This makes it essential that none of the vapor leaks out of the reaction. To ensure this, we need to keck clip and grease the joints to prevent vapor leakage. The answer is D. To prevent the loss of solvent over the course of the reaction.