Key Differences Between Distillation and Evaporation

1. What They Are:

   • Evaporation: This is when liquids change into gas without reaching a boiling point. It usually happens at the top of the liquid.
   • Distillation: This is a method to separate mixtures. It heats a liquid to make it vapor and then cools it back to liquid. This helps break down different parts based on how hot they need to get to boil.

2. Temperature:

   • Evaporation can happen at any temperature, mostly near the surface of the liquid.
   • Distillation needs to heat a liquid until it boils. For example, water boils at 100°C (212°F) at normal pressure.

3. Why We Use Them:

   • Evaporation: People use it to make solutions stronger or to get certain materials back, like salt from seawater.
   • Distillation: This method is used to clean liquids and to separate them, like getting alcohol from fermented drinks.

4. How Well They Work:

   • Evaporation can take longer and depends on things like temperature and how much surface area there is.
   • Distillation works better for separating liquids that boil at different temperatures. It can handle big differences, even over 100°C.

5. Where They're Used:

   • Evaporation: It’s great for removing salt from water and making juices stronger.
   • Distillation: This is commonly used to make drinks like whiskey, perfumes, and in the oil industry.