Lesson 24 · about 20 minutes
Making molecules
Plan a molecule backwards, then make it, purify it and weigh it, as chemists do with aspirin.
You will learn
- How chemists plan a synthesis by working backwards from the target
- How aspirin is made from salicylic acid in a lab
- How chemists check that a product is pure
- How to work out a yield, and why it falls with every step