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Difficulty: EasySeparating Funnel and Solvent Extraction

A mixture of kerosene and water is poured into a separating funnel and allowed to stand undisturbed. Which of the following statements correctly explains how the mixture separates into two distinct layers?

  1. Kerosene forms the upper layer because it is less dense than water.Answer
  2. B
    Kerosene forms the lower layer because it has a higher boiling point than water.
  3. C
    Water forms the upper layer because organic solvents are always denser than water.
  4. D
    The two liquids dissolve in each other and must be separated by fractional distillation.

Answer

Kerosene forms the upper layer because it is less dense than water, allowing the denser water to be drawn off from the bottom of the funnel.
A separating funnel is designed to separate immiscible liquids based on density differences. Kerosene is non-polar and immiscible with water, and because its density is lower than that of water, it collects in the upper layer.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical properties of the liquids in the mixture.
Kerosene and water are immiscible (they do not mix). Water has a density of approximately 1.0 g/cm31.0\text{ g/cm}^3, while kerosene has a density of about 0.8 g/cm30.8\text{ g/cm}^3.
Separating funnels function based on differences in liquid solubility (immiscibility) and relative density.
2
Determine the relative layer positions inside the separating funnel.
The denser liquid (water) settles at the bottom, while the less dense liquid (kerosene) floats on top.
Gravity causes the denser fluid to occupy the lower volume of the vessel.

Key Concept

Separation of immiscible liquids using a separating funnel based on density differences
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Topics

Separating Funnel and Solvent Extraction

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