In the organic chemistry lab, what does extraction primarily involve?

Extraction in the context of organic chemistry primarily involves the separation of compounds based on their solubility characteristics in different solvents. During the extraction process, a mixture containing the desired compound is placed in a solvent in which the compound is soluble. This allows the target substance to dissolve into the solvent while leaving behind other components that are not soluble.

The importance of solubility in extraction cannot be overstated, as it determines which compounds are transferred into the solvent for further purification or analysis. The choice of solvents, often referred to as the extraction solvents, is crucial, as they should selectively dissolve the target compounds while minimizing the solubility of unwanted impurities.

In contrast, distillation, which separates liquids based on their boiling points, does not specifically target solubility. Similarly, evaporation involves the removal of solvents rather than the selective separation of compounds based on their solubility. Hence, understanding solubility is key to executing effective extraction techniques in the laboratory.