A common technique used to separate liquids from one another is called "separating funnel" or "liquid-liquid extraction." This method exploits the differences in densities of immiscible liquids, allowing them to form distinct layers that can be separated by draining the denser liquid from the bottom of the funnel first. Other popular techniques for separating liquids include:
- Distillation (simple and fractional), which separates liquids based on different boiling points.
- Chromatography , which separates substances dissolved in liquids based on their movement through a medium.
The separating funnel is especially used when the liquids are immiscible (do not mix), such as oil and water. Distillation is used when liquids are miscible but have different boiling points, such as separating alcohol from water.
