What is the Difference Between Distillation and Condensation?

Distillation and condensation are two different processes that involve the change of a substance from one phase to another. The main difference between the two lies in the temperature at which each process occurs:

1. Distillation:

• Distillation is a process in which a liquid is heated to its boiling point, causing the liquid to vaporize.
• The vapor is then cooled, causing it to condense back into a liquid form.
• This process results in the separation of the various components of the liquid, based on their boiling points.
• Distillation is a technique used to separate components in a liquid mixture via selective boiling and condensation.
• It is a common method used in industries to separate components in liquid mixtures.

1. Condensation:

• Condensation is a process in which a gas is cooled to its condensation point, resulting in the transformation of the gas into a liquid form.
• This process can occur at a lower temperature than distillation.
• Condensation is the process of changing the phase of matter from the gas phase to the liquid phase.

In summary, distillation is a process that involves heating a liquid to its boiling point, causing it to vaporize, and then cooling the vapor to condense it back into a liquid, separating the components based on their boiling points. On the other hand, condensation is the process of turning a gas into a liquid by cooling it to its condensation point.

Comparative Table: Distillation vs Condensation

Here is a table comparing the differences between distillation and condensation:

Distillation is a separation technique that relies on the different boiling points of components in a liquid mixture, while condensation is a process that involves the transformation of a gas into a liquid form when cooled to its condensation point.