This video takes you through two essential separation techniques — simple distillation and fractional distillation — using clear practical demonstrations and real exam-style questions. You'll learn the equipment needed, the role each component plays, and the key hazards and safety precautions the examiner expects you to know.

What You Will Learn

00:47What distillation is and which types of mixture it can separate.

01:43How boiling point and volatility determine which substance distils over first.

04:03What a Liebig condenser does and how to connect and use it correctly.

04:22Why anti-bumping granules are added and what problem they prevent.

05:26What vapour and condensation mean and how to trace the path of a substance through the distillation apparatus.

12:15How thermometer position affects the temperature reading and why it must be placed at the side-arm junction.

16:40What fractions are and how fractional distillation achieves better separation than simple distillation.

18:16What the suck-back hazard is, how it arises, and how to prevent it in a distillation practical.