Distillation S1, S2, E1 & E2

S1 A description of distillation – e.g. the process of separating a pure liquid from a

solution by evaporating the liquid and then condensing the vapour; a correctly labelled
diagram similar to diagram B or C.

S2 Wear eye protection in case the liquid boils over; do not touch the equipment to
avoid burning or scalding; mop up spillages immediately; use anti-bumping granules to
make the liquid boil more smoothly, reducing the risk of the liquid boiling over; tie hair
back.

E1 Water boils at 100 ºC; in a mixture of ethanol and water, ethanol evaporates more
easily; because it has the lower boiling point; so the first fraction that condenses off will
be mostly ethanol/contains more than 50% ethanol.

E2 The boiling point of the original mixture will be somewhere between 78.5 ºC and 100
ºC; (might predict about 90 ºC for a 50:50 mixture); the ethanol boils off first so the
remaining mixture will contain a higher percentage of water; so you would expect the
mixture boiling point to rise towards 100 ºC; once all the ethanol has boiled away there
would be pure water; which would boil at 100 ºC.

Exam-style question
• liquid B (1)
• because it has the lower boiling point so will evaporate (and condense) first (1)