Which technique separates a liquid-liquid mixture with different boiling points?

Which technique separates a liquid-liquid mixture with different boiling points?

• A. Chromatography
• B. Filtration
• C. Distillation
• D. Crystallization

Answer: (C)

Distillation relies on differences in volatility (boiling points) to separate components. When you heat a liquid–liquid mixture, the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes first while the other remains liquid. The vapor is then cooled and condensed back to liquid in a separate receiving vessel, yielding a distillate that is enriched in the lower-boiling component. If the boiling points are quite different, simple distillation suffices; if they’re closer, a fractional distillation with a column increases separation efficiency by providing many mini-boils and condensations. This approach specifically uses boiling-point differences, whereas filtration, crystallization, or chromatography separate based on particle size, solubility changes, or interactions with a stationary phase, not primarily on boiling points.

Distillation relies on differences in volatility (boiling points) to separate components. When you heat a liquid–liquid mixture, the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes first while the other remains liquid. The vapor is then cooled and condensed back to liquid in a separate receiving vessel, yielding a distillate that is enriched in the lower-boiling component. If the boiling points are quite different, simple distillation suffices; if they’re closer, a fractional distillation with a column increases separation efficiency by providing many mini-boils and condensations. This approach specifically uses boiling-point differences, whereas filtration, crystallization, or chromatography separate based on particle size, solubility changes, or interactions with a stationary phase, not primarily on boiling points.