What is the main purpose of distillation?

The main purpose of distillation is to separate components of a mixture based on differences in boiling points. This process utilizes the principle that different substances will vaporize at different temperatures. By heating a liquid mixture, the component with the lowest boiling point vaporizes first. This vapor can then be collected and condensed back into a liquid, effectively separating it from the other components that remain in the original mixture.

For instance, in a mixture of water and ethanol, the ethanol has a lower boiling point than water. When the mixture is heated, ethanol evaporates first, allowing it to be captured and separated. This technique is crucial in various applications, including the purification of liquids, alcohol distillation, and even in the petrochemical industry for refining crude oil.

Although some choices mention changing chemical composition, measuring weight, or mixing substances uniformly, those do not align with the primary goal of distillation. This method focuses specifically on separation based on physical properties rather than altering substances or creating mixtures.