Refluxing is a technique used in organic chemistry where a reaction mixture is heated in a flask fitted with a vertical condenser. The solvent evaporates and condenses, and the vapours are recycled back into the flask.

Refluxing is used in organic chemistry to heat volatile, flammable compounds to their boiling point in order to speed up slow reactions, without losing material to evaporation.

Distillation is a technique used in organic chemistry to separate substances based on their different boiling points. The mixture is heated and the substances evaporate out of the mixture in order of increasing boiling point.

Distillation equipment is used when the product of a reaction has a lower boiling point than the starting materials. The product evaporates from the reaction mixture as it forms.

The thermometer shows the boiling point of the substance that is evaporating at any given time; this helps to identify the substance evaporating.

Extraction is a technique used in organic chemistry to remove water soluble impurities from a product that is insoluble in water.

Separation is done using a separating funnel.

When water is added to an organic liquid in a separating funnel, the organic layer and the aqueous layer separate out into two distinct layers.

This is because most organic liquids are immiscibe in water.

An anhydrous salt is added after separation to dry the organic layer.

The anhydrous salt binds to any water present to become hydrated.

1. Anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄).
2. Anhydrous calcium chloride (CaCl₂).

After drying the organic layer, the solid drying agent can be removed by filtration.

Redistillation is used in organic chemistry to purify volatile liquids. It separates a product and its impurities based on their different boiling points.