Final answer:
The separation of CuSO4·5H2O involves heating the compound, releasing water to form anhydrous copper sulfate and water vapor, with distillation being used to collect the separated water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reaction commonly used to separate a copper compound like CuSO4·5H2O is the thermal decomposition of the hydrated salt, which leads to the evaporation of water of crystallization. When heated, the blue copper sulfate pentahydrate crystals turn into a white anhydrous copper sulfate powder and release water vapor. This transformation occurs because the compound loses its water molecules, turning from a hydrate to an anhydride. Hence, the correct answer would be option D) Distillation, as distillation would be used to separate and recover the water after the heating process.