In a mixture of liquids,liquid A is steam volatile,and decomposes at its boiling point.explain the method of separating liquid A from the mixture,with physical principles involved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_distillation
To separate liquid A from the mixture, you can use the process of distillation. Distillation takes advantage of the differences in boiling points of the liquids in the mixture. Here's how you can do it:
1. Set up a distillation apparatus: This usually involves a round-bottom flask to hold the mixture, a distillation column (also known as a fractionating column), a condenser, and a collection flask or beaker.
2. Heat the mixture: Apply heat to the round-bottom flask. As the temperature rises, the liquids in the mixture will start to evaporate based on their boiling points.
3. Condensation: The vaporized liquid A will rise up the distillation column into the condenser, which is cooled with water or another cooling medium. The condenser cools down the vapor, causing it to turn back into a liquid.
4. Collection: The liquid A, which has a lower boiling point compared to the other liquids in the mixture, will condense first. It will collect in the collection flask or beaker, separated from the other components.
5. Repeat the process: If there are more liquids with different boiling points in the mixture, the process can be repeated to separate them further.
The physical principle involved in this process is the concept of boiling point. Each liquid in the mixture has a specific boiling point, which is the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a gas. By heating the mixture, we increase the energy of the molecules, causing them to enter the gas phase. Since liquid A is steam volatile (evaporates easily) and decomposes at its boiling point, it will vaporize, rise, and condense back into a liquid in the distillation column while the other components may have higher boiling points and remain in the liquid phase.
By selectively condensing the vaporized liquid A, we can separate it from the other components in the mixture. The lower boiling point of liquid A allows for its separation, while the other components can be collected separately or remain in the round-bottom flask, depending on their boiling points.