Final answer:
The components of a compound can only be separated by chemical means, as chemical reactions are required to break the bonds between the atoms of the elements in the compound.
Step-by-step explanation:
The components of a compound can only be separated by chemical means. Compounds, such as water (H₂O) and sodium chloride (NaCl), are made of different elements bonded together in a fixed ratio. Because these elements are chemically combined, physical methods like sorting, filtering, or distillation cannot break the chemical bonds; a chemical reaction is required to decompose the compound into its elemental parts.
During a chemical reaction, the bonds that hold the atoms together in the compound are broken and reformed to create new substances. For example, electrolysis can be used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen gas, demonstrating that chemical methods are necessary to break the bonds in compounds.