Which one of the following apparatus is used for separating benzene and water mixture?

The correct answer is Separating funnel.

Key Points

• Benzene is a clear, colourless, highly flammable and volatile liquid aromatic hydrocarbon.
  • It is found in crude oil and as a by-product of oil refining processes.
  • It evaporates very quickly into the air.
  • Benzene is nonpolar and water is highly polar, so if we add benzene to water, the benzene will float on top of the water without any apparent mixing.
  • They can be separated using a separatory funnel, where the heavier liquid (water) will form the lower layer and the lighter liquid (benzene) will form the upper layer.

Additional Information

• The Dean–Stark method is commonly used in the food industry to measure the moisture content of items such as bread.
  • This equipment can also be used in cases other than simple drainage of water.
  • An example is the esterification of butanol with acetic acid catalyzed by sulfuric acid.
• Round-bottom flasks are used by chemists in distillation as distillation flasks and receiving flasks for distillation.
• Typically, uses of conical flasks include research involving mixing and heating solutions, short-term storage, and testing accessories such as chemical probes and sensors.