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How to Know the Solvent in the Reaction

Chemical-reaction equations are written in such a way that they give you all the basic information you need about a chemical reaction -- what reacts with what, what kinds of products form, whether the reaction is reversible and so forth. One valuable piece of information you can glean from the equation is the type of solvent. Sometimes in organic chemistry, the type of solvent you use can help determine what kind of reaction will occur.

Things You'll Need

Reaction equation

Instructions

- 1
  Copy down the reaction equation.
- 2
  Notice the one- or two-way arrow in the center of the reaction equation -- the arrow pointing from reactants to products. Reagents used in the reaction are typically listed above the arrow, while reaction conditions are listed below. The solvent is generally included in the reaction conditions.
- 3
  Learn the abbreviations for some of the common solvents you'll encounter in organic chemistry:
  
  MeOH, methanol
  EtOH, ethanol
  DMSO, dimethylsulfoxide
  THF, tetrahydrofuran
  DMF, dimethylformamide
  
  Also note that diethyl ether is sometimes described merely as "ether," although technically diethyl ether is more correct.

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