What is the basic process of distillation?

• A. Process where liquids are separated based on boiling points
• B. Process of Mixing Liquids
• C. Process of Filtering Solids from Liquids
• D. Process of Crystallizing Solutes from Solutions

Answer: (A)

Distillation works by exploiting differences in boiling points. Heat the liquid mixture so the component with the lower boiling point vaporizes first; the vapor is then cooled and condensed back into liquid and collected as the distillate. The component with the higher boiling point remains in the original container until enough heat is applied. This basic process lets you purify a liquid or separate two liquids that boil at different temperatures. It’s not about mixing, filtering solids from liquids, or crystallizing solutes from solutions, which rely on different mechanisms.