A chemist has been given a mixture of two liquids that form a solution. The liquids have different boiling points, densities, and colors. Which method should be used to most easily separate the two liquids

Question

evaporation

distillation

sedimentation

filtration

Answer 1

The most suitable method to separate two liquids that form a solution, especially when they have different boiling points, is distillation.

Distillation takes advantage of the differences in boiling points of the liquids to separate them. When the mixture is heated, the liquid with the lower boiling point will vaporize first. The vapor can then be collected and condensed back into liquid form, effectively separating the two components.

Evaporation would only allow for the separation of one component that is heated until it turns into vapor, while sedimentation and filtration are methods typically used for separating solids from liquids or for suspensions, not for two liquid components. Thus, distillation is the best method in this scenario.