Why should the temperature be kept 48C during distillation?
is it because of the melting point?
distillation of what? melting point of what?
@Drbob222 2-methyl-2-butanol
In distillation, the temperature of the mixture being distilled is an important factor. The reason why the temperature should be kept at a specific value, such as 48°C in your example, depends on the specific substances being distilled.
The boiling points of different components in a mixture can vary, and distillation takes advantage of these differences to separate the components based on their boiling points. During distillation, the mixture is heated to convert the liquid components into vapor. These vaporized components are then condensed and collected.
Now, the temperature at which a substance boils is closely related to its boiling point. By maintaining a constant temperature during distillation, such as 48°C, you can ensure that the particular substance you are interested in distilling will selectively vaporize and condense.
For example, let's say you have a mixture of two liquids with different boiling points: A (boiling point 40°C) and B (boiling point 60°C). By setting the temperature to 48°C during distillation, substance A will boil and vaporize, while substance B will remain in the liquid phase. As a result, you can collect the vapor of substance A and separate it from substance B.
In summary, the specific temperature, like 48°C, is chosen during distillation to selectively vaporize the desired component based on its boiling point. It is essential to consider the boiling points of the substances involved in order to determine the appropriate temperature for distillation.