Question

How do you distinguish (a) chemical properties from physical properties? (b) distillation from filtration? (c) a solute from a solution?

Short answer

Answer: Chemical properties determine how a substance reacts with others to create new substances, while physical properties can be observed without changing the substance's identity. Distillation separates components based on boiling points, while filtration separates based on particle size and solubility. A solute is a substance dissolved in a solvent to form a solution, and a solution is the homogeneous mixture resulting from the combination.

Step-by-step solution

Defining chemical properties and physical properties

Chemical properties are those characteristics that determine how a substance will react with other substances to create new substances. These include flammability, reactivity, acidity, and ability to oxidize. Physical properties, on the other hand, are characteristics that can be observed or measured without changing the identity of the substance. These include color, texture, odor, boiling point, and density.

Comparing distillation and filtration

Distillation is a separation method that involves heating a liquid mixture to create vapor and then condensing the vapor back into liquid form in another container. This process is based on the differences in boiling points of the components in the mixture. Filtration is a separation method that involves passing a liquid or solid mixture through a porous medium (usually a filter paper) to separate the solid particles from the liquid. This process is based on the differences in particle size and solubility of the components in the mixture.

Differentiating solute and solution

A solute is a substance that is dissolved in a solvent to form a solution. For example, in a solution of sugar and water, sugar is the solute. A solution, on the other hand, is a homogeneous mixture formed when a solute dissolves in a solvent. Using the previous example, when sugar dissolves in water, the resulting mixture is called a solution.