What is the main purpose of an extraction procedure?

The primary purpose of an extraction procedure is to separate a substance based on differences in solubility. During extraction, a sample mixture is treated with a solvent that selectively dissolves the target analyte while leaving behind impurities or other components that do not dissolve in the chosen solvent. This process relies on the principle that different substances have varying affinities for different solvents, which enables the effective separation of the desired analyte from the mixture.

In analytical chemistry, extraction methods are crucial because they allow for the purification of substances prior to further analysis, facilitating more accurate measurement and characterizing of analytes within complex mixtures. The efficiency of the extraction depends on factors such as the choice of solvent, the ratio of solvent to sample, and the temperature, which can all significantly impact the solubility and thus the separation success.