Question

Fractional distillation of ethyl alcohol-water mixture gives a mixture of 95.6% ethyl alcohol and 4.4% water. Further separation can be brought about either by the addition of a water-soluble salt such as potassium acetate. Justify the formation of pure ethyl alcohol in both cases.

Answer 1

Fractional distillation: It is the method of separation of mixture liquid based upon their boiling point.

• The difference in the boiling point of liquids in the mixture is less in the case of fractional distillation.
• Alcohol-water mixture gives a mixture of 95.6% ethyl alcohol and 4.4% water after fractional distillation.
• The addition of salt to the mixture results in a change in the boiling point of the liquid in the mixture.
• The change in boiling point results in the vaporization of different components at different temperatures.
• Because of this addition of salt separation will become easy.