Which of the following techniques is commonly used to desalinate water?

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

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the goal: Desalination is the process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater or brackish water to make it suitable for drinking or irrigation.
2. Review each technique: Floatation is used to separate substances based on their ability to float, chromatography separates components based on their movement through a medium, and filtration removes particles based on size.
3. Recognize that distillation involves heating water to create steam, which leaves salts and impurities behind, then condensing the steam back into liquid water, effectively separating salt from water.
4. Identify that distillation is the most common and effective method among the options for desalinating water because it physically separates water from dissolved salts.
5. Conclude that the correct technique for desalination from the given options is distillation.