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Difficulty: EasySimple and Fractional Distillation

Match each mixture separation scenario on the left with its corresponding application of simple or fractional distillation on the right.

  • Separation of ethanol (boiling point 78∘C78^\circ\text{C}) and water (boiling point 100∘C100^\circ\text{C})Laboratory fractional distillation of miscible liquids with close boiling points
  • Recovery of pure water from a sodium chloride salt solutionSimple distillation separating a volatile solvent from a non-volatile solute
  • Refining crude oil into petrol, kerosene, and gas oilIndustrial fractional distillation based on continuous fraction collection by boiling range
  • Separation of liquid nitrogen (boiling point −196∘C-196^\circ\text{C}) and liquid oxygen (boiling point −183∘C-183^\circ\text{C})Industrial fractional distillation of liquefied gases at cryogenic temperatures

Answer

Ethanol-water mixture matches laboratory fractional distillation of miscible liquids with close boiling points; recovery of pure water from salt solution matches simple distillation of volatile solvent from non-volatile solute; refining crude oil matches industrial fractional distillation of petroleum; liquid air separation matches cryogenic industrial fractional distillation.
Simple distillation is used when separating a volatile solvent from a non-volatile solute (e.g., pure water from sea water/salt solution). Fractional distillation is required when separating miscible liquids with close boiling points (e.g., ethanol and water, petroleum crude oil, or liquefied air components).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nature of the solute and solvent in each mixture.
Determine whether components are volatile miscible liquids or a liquid containing non-volatile dissolved solids.
Simple distillation is suitable when separating a liquid solvent from a non-volatile solid, whereas fractional distillation is required for two or more miscible volatile liquids.
2
Compare boiling points for miscible liquid pairs.
Ethanol (78∘C78^\circ\text{C}) and water (100∘C100^\circ\text{C}) have close boiling points requiring repeated condensation-vaporization cycles provided by a fractionating column.
A fractionating column packed with glass beads provides surface area for multiple simple distillations to occur simultaneously.
3
Match industrial processes to their scaled applications.
Crude oil refining uses tall fractionating towers, while air liquefaction separates sub-zero boiling gases like nitrogen and oxygen.
Industrial separation scales fractional distillation principles to handle petroleum fractions and liquefied gas mixtures.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between simple distillation (volatile solvent from non-volatile solute) and fractional distillation (miscible liquids with close boiling points).
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Simple and Fractional Distillation

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