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Chemistry · Separation techniques
Fractional distillation of wine
Wine is roughly 12 % ethanol in water. By heating it in a flask fitted with a fractionating column, the ethanol can be separated and collected because it has a lower boiling point (78 °C) than water (100 °C).
Thermometer
20.0 °C
Distillate collected
0.0 mL
Exam-style questions
1. When the thermometer reads a STEADY 78 °C, what is condensing in the receiver?
2. What is the function of the GLASS BEADS / packing in the column?
3. Why does the temperature SHOOT UP toward 100 °C once ethanol is collected?
4. Why is fractional (not simple) distillation used?