Question

Identify the methods by which the individual components of a mixture containing water, sodium chloride, ethanol and benzene can be separated.

• A. Separating funnel, fractional distillation, evaporation
• B. Fractional distillation, distillation, crystallisation
• C. Separating funnel, fractional distillation, filtration, distillation
• D. Separating funnel, fractional distillation, sedimentation and decantation

Answer 1

The correct option is A Separating funnel, fractional distillation, evaporation

Since the given salt dissolves in water, and since ethanol is miscible with water, we can use a separating funnel to separate benzene from the aqueous solution containing the salt and ethanol. Now the aqueous solution and ethanol can be separated by using fractional distillation. To separate $NaCl$ from water we can use evaporation.