Question

Describe how you could separate and purify an unknown compound from a mixture of two neutral compounds if one is 95% of the mixture and the other is only 5% of the mixture. Hint: Think broadly.

Answer 1

To separate and purify an unknown compound from a mixture of two neutral compounds, fractional distillation can be used.

Step-by-step explanation:

To separate and purify an unknown compound from a mixture of two neutral compounds where one is 95% and the other is 5%, you can use a technique called fractional distillation.

In fractional distillation, the mixture is heated, and the vapor produced is collected and cooled. Since the compounds in the mixture have different boiling points, the compound with the lower boiling point will evaporate first and can be collected separately. This process can be repeated multiple times to further purify the compounds.

For example, if the compound with 95% concentration has a lower boiling point, it will vaporize first, and its vapor will be collected. The remaining mixture can be heated again to collect the compound with 5% concentration.