Question

How pure water is separated from seawater?
A. Simple distillation
B. Chromatography
C. Filtration
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Seawater contains a huge amount of salt concentration. By using simple methods we cannot separate salt content from seawater. Sometimes due to the presence of salt content in seawater do corrosion of the apparatus used for purification.
Complete step by step answer:
- In the question it is asked how can we separate pure water from seawater.
- Pure water does not contain any salt concentration in it.
- We will discuss with the given options to know about the separation of pure water from seawater.
- Coming to given options, Option B, Chromatography. It is a technique used to separate a mixture of components into individuals. This technique is not used to separate pure water from seawater.
- Because by using chromatography we can’t separate water (solvent) from seawater.
- Coming to option C, Filtration. By filtration, we can separate insoluble particles from solution. But in seawater, all the salt content is insoluble. So, by using filtration we can’t separate pure water from seawater.
- Coming to option A, Simple distillation. This technique is very good to separate the solvent from the solution. Pure water can be separated from saltwater by this method.
- In this method, we are supposed to heat the seawater in a distilling flask.
- The distilling flask is connected to a condenser and then to a receiving flask.
- We have to heat the seawater in a distilling flask. The water which is going to evaporate from the distilling flask is cooled by using a condenser and then collected in a receiving flask.
- The water which is collected in a receiving flask is pure water.
- This is how we can separate pure water from seawater.
- The below picture depicts the process of simple distillation clearly.
- Therefore we can separate pure water from seawater by using simple distillation.
- So, the correct option is A.

Note: The water has to be heated to its boiling point. Then only the water vapour starts to come out from the distilling flask then it is cooled through the condenser and pure water will be collected separately. If we are unable to heat the water till its boiling point then the distillation process is not going to be started.