Fractional Distillation Flashcards
What is fractional distillation used to separate?
mixtures of miscible liquids
What is fractional distillation?
A method of separating the various components of a chemical mixture into different parts (fractions) based on their boiling points.
What is the fundamental concept of fractional distillation?
Different liquids boil and evaporate at different temperatures.
What happens when the liquid mixture is heated?
The substance with the lower boiling point starts boiling first and converts into vapour
What is the role of the fractionating column?
If anything boils too early, it will fall back down so that only the wanted substance can reach the top
Why is it important that the water flows in from the bottom of the condenser?
It makes sure that the condenser is completely filled with cold water. If it was the other way, it wouldn’t full properly, so the cooling wouldn’t be as good
Why is the thermometer placed in line with the opening of the condenser?
You can use the temperature shown on the thermometer to find out the boiling point of the substance passing through. This allows you to identify the substance
