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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: confusedstud on October 27, 2012, 01:27:17 AM

Title: O level explanation of how a fractionating column works
Post by: confusedstud on October 27, 2012, 01:27:17 AM

After posting on this forum, i learned that the more volatile liquid will vapourize more than the other liquid hence in the column, the gases will condense and vapourize again causing more of the more volatile liquid to be seperated.

However, in my O levels syllabus we were not taught about this and it was very vague as they did not give any reason to it. They simply said "The water vapour condenses and drops back into the round-bottom flask". So i was wondering how should i explain this as i'm not sure if the explanation i gave would be accepted. Thanks!  :)

Title: Re: O level explanation of how a fractionating column works
Post by: discodermolide on October 27, 2012, 05:46:45 AM

read this;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_distillation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_distillation)