C1 : Fractional Distillation

Question 1

Fractional distillation

Answer 1

In fractional distillation we separate a mixture of different liquids, these liquids must have different boiling points

Question 2

How does it work

Answer 2

. We start by gently heating the mixture
. The vapors of the two mixtures make their way through the fractionating column
. When the vapors hit the column, they condense and drip back down into the glass
. The liquids evaporate again
. The lower boiling point vapor will rise up more than the one with the higher point
. As the heat rises, we’ve got mainly 1 chemical passing through the condenser which we can collect
. After the while, the the chemical with the higher boiling point starts getting collected

Question 3

Why may we need to carry several round s of fractional distillation

Answer 3

If the liquids have very similar boiling points
Fractional distillation is not useful for separating a large volume of liquid