Which method of separation would be most appropriate for separating a mixture of water and alcohol?

• A. Chromatography
• B. Floatation
• C. Distillation
• D. Filtration

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the physical properties of the components in the mixture: water and alcohol are both liquids and are miscible (they mix completely).
2. Understand that filtration and floatation are methods used to separate solids from liquids or immiscible liquids, so they are not suitable for separating two miscible liquids like water and alcohol.
3. Recognize that chromatography is typically used to separate components of a mixture based on differences in their movement through a medium, often for complex mixtures or small quantities, but it is not the most practical method for separating bulk liquid mixtures like water and alcohol.
4. Recall that distillation separates components based on differences in their boiling points. Since water and alcohol have different boiling points, distillation can effectively separate them by heating the mixture and collecting the vapor of the component with the lower boiling point first.
5. Conclude that distillation is the most appropriate method for separating a mixture of water and alcohol because it exploits their difference in volatility.