Question

Liquid ethanol can be separated from a mixture of ethanol and water by:

• A. chromatography
• B. fractional distillation
• C. centrifugation
• D. all of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

fractional distillation

Fractional distillation is a method for separating a liquid from a mixture of two or more liquids when the difference in their boiling points is less than 25 K.

Boiling point of water is 373.2 K while that of ethanol is 351.52 K. Since the difference between these two boiling points is less than 25 K, fractional distillation is the correct method for separating ethanol from the mixture of ethanol and water.