Which physical property does a distillation tower primarily use to separate crude oil into different fractions?

• A. Density
• B. Solubility
• C. Color
• D. Boiling point

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that distillation is a separation technique based on differences in a physical property of the components in a mixture.
2. Recall that in a distillation tower, the mixture is heated, and components vaporize at different temperatures depending on their physical properties.
3. Identify that the key physical property used in distillation is the boiling point, which determines when each component changes from liquid to vapor.
4. Recognize that components with lower boiling points vaporize first and rise higher in the tower, while those with higher boiling points condense lower down.
5. Conclude that the distillation tower separates crude oil into fractions primarily based on differences in boiling points, not density, solubility, or color.