How is dehydration different from distillation as a method of removing a solute from a solvent?

1 Answer
Dec 11, 2016

Refer to the explanation.

Explanation:

Dehydration involves the evaporation of the solvent from the solution, leaving behind a solid solute. It may be necessary to place the evaporating dish into a low-temperature oven to speed up the evaporation process.

Distillation involves differences in boiling point. The solute (a liquid) has a lower boiling point than the solvent. Once the solution starts boiling, the solute becomes a vapor, and then is passed through a condenser with cold water surrounding it, causing the vapor to condense back into the liquid solute (distillate) without the solvent.

https://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v8_issue1/tanks/tanks3.htm

So dehydration removes the solvent and leaves behind the solute, and distillation removes the solute and leaves behind the solvent.