Question

Distillation is best done at what speed?

a) Very fast to avoid loss of material
b) The rate of distillation isn't all that important
c) Very slow to get the best separation
d) At a moderate speed, but no faster than a degree of equilibrium can be maintain

Answer 1

Distillation is best done at a moderate speed to maintain equilibrium between the liquid and gas phases. The rate of distillation should be slow enough to allow for the separation of component substances based on differences in volatility.

Step-by-step explanation:

Distillation is best done at a moderate speed, but no faster than a degree of equilibrium can be maintained. This means that the rate of distillation should be slow enough to allow for the separation of the component substances, but not so fast that it disrupts the equilibrium between the liquid and gas phases.

In distillation, substances are separated based on their differences in volatility, which is a measure of how easily a substance is converted to a gas at a given temperature. The more volatile component will boil first and condense back to a liquid in the water-cooled condenser, while the less volatile component remains in the distillation flask.