⚗️Distillation vs Sublimation🌫️
Both are separation and purification techniques, but they exploit different phase changes to isolate a substance.
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⚗️Distillation
- ✓Separates liquids using boiling point
- ✓Liquid is vaporized then condensed
- ✓Goes liquid to gas to liquid
- ✓Used to purify or split mixtures
- ✓Examples: separating ethanol from water
🌫️Sublimation
- ✓Separates a solid that vaporizes directly
- ✓Solid goes straight to gas, skipping liquid
- ✓Vapor then deposits back to solid
- ✓Used when a solid sublimes cleanly
- ✓Examples: purifying iodine or dry ice
Verdict
Distillation cycles a substance through the liquid phase, while sublimation skips the liquid entirely. Choose sublimation only when a component goes straight from solid to gas.
Frequently asked
What phase change does sublimation use?+
Solid turns directly into gas without ever becoming liquid.
When is distillation the better choice?+
When separating liquids or a dissolved solute from a liquid by exploiting boiling points.
Give an example of sublimation.+
Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) sublimes directly into gas at room temperature.
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