Question

5. Would it be easier or harder to separate cyclohexane toluene mixture or water methanol mixture? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Dear Student , this one is a good question .

Before coming to the answer , it is important to know how can we separate these mixtures . The answer is Distillation.

This process is used to separate mixture on the basis of different boiling point , that is it is used to separate liquid-liquid mixture. As heat is given to the system , liquid with lower boiling point or high volatility evaporates , leaving other liquid in its liquid form . So it becomes clear if two liquid have close boiling points to each other they will be difficult to separate . The volatile lliquid can then be condensed and be separated .

Now coming back to your question deart student , separation of both the mixture that you have mentioned can be done easily as there is considerable difference in thier respective boiling point . Cyclohexane have boiling point of around 80 degree celsius while Toluene has around 110 degree celsius . On the other hand methanol has boiling point 64.7 degree celsius and water 100 degree celsius .

The concept of azeotropes is also there but it is worth discussing here.

hope this helps!