Fractional Distillation: Simple Notes for Grade 8
What is Fractional Distillation?
Fractional distillation is a method used to separate a mixture of liquids that are mixed
together (miscible) by taking advantage of their different boiling points [1] [2] [3] .
It is especially useful when the liquids have boiling points that are close to each other [2] [3]
[4] .
Why Do We Use Fractional Distillation?
To separate and collect pure liquids from a mixture.
Commonly used in industries, for example, to separate different fuels from crude oil (like
petrol, diesel, and kerosene) [5] [4] [6] .
How Does Fractional Distillation Work?
1. Heating the Mixture
The mixture is placed in a flask and heated.
The liquid with the lowest boiling point turns into vapor (gas) first [2] [3] [7] .
2. Fractionating Column
The vapor rises through a special tube called a fractionating column.
The column helps separate the vapors because it is cooler at the top and hotter at the
bottom [7] [8] .
3. Condensation
As the vapor rises, it cools and turns back into a liquid at different heights in the column
depending on its boiling point.
Each liquid condenses at a different level and can be collected separately [4] [7] [8] .
4. Collection
The separated liquids (called fractions) are collected in different containers [4] [7] .
Key Points to Remember
The liquid with the lowest boiling point comes off (is collected) first.
The process uses repeated evaporation and condensation to separate the mixture [2] [4] .
Fractional distillation is better than simple distillation when separating liquids with similar
boiling points [3] [4] .
Example: Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil
Crude oil is heated in a large column.
Different fuels (like petrol, diesel, and kerosene) are collected at different heights because
they have different boiling points [5] [4] [6] .
Diagram (Describe for Students to Draw):
1. Draw a flask at the bottom with the mixture.
2. Attach a vertical column (fractionating column) above the flask.
3. Draw side tubes at different heights leading to collection containers.
4. Show a thermometer at the top of the column.
Summary Table
Step What Happens
Heating Mixture is heated, lowest boiling point liquid vaporizes
Rising Vapors Vapors rise up the fractionating column
Condensation Vapors cool and condense at different heights
Collection Pure liquids are collected in separate containers
In Simple Words:
Fractional distillation is like sorting out a group of friends by height as they climb stairs-those
who are lighter (lower boiling point) go higher up, while the heavier ones (higher boiling point)
stay lower down. Each friend is collected at a different step!
These notes use simple language and examples to help Grade 8 students understand the
process and importance of fractional distillation [2] [3] [4] [7] .
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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_distillation
2. https://byjus.com/chemistry/fractional-distillation/
3. https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-fractional-distillation-definition-process.html
4. https://www.chemicals.co.uk/blog/what-is-fractional-distillation
5. https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/definitions/fractional-distillation/
6. https://www.crownoil.co.uk/guides/crude-oil-fractional-distillation/
7. https://studymind.co.uk/notes/distillation/
8. https://www.usalab.com/blog/how-fractional-distillation-process-works/
