Q:Why can I not separate acetanilide now?

Even though you have succeeded in separating benzoic acid from the original mixture, you still cannot attempt to remove acetanilide yet.

Acetanilide is the neutral compound in the mixture. Since it is neutral, it will not react with any inorganic base or acid. There are no sites available for ionization, a critical requirement for solubility in the aqueous phase. Separation of acetanilide is not achievable when there is still a basic component (4-bromoaniline) present in the mixture.

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