Three independent laboratory samples require purification or component isolation.
Sample A: Cloudy water containing finely dispersed but insoluble silica particles.
Sample B: A homogeneous liquid mixture that is 50.0 mL methanol (Tb=64.7∘C) and 50.0 mL 1-propanol (Tb=97.2∘C) at 1 atm.
Sample C: A single solution containing two organic dyes, Dye X (high polarity) and Dye Y (low polarity), dissolved in propanone.
For each sample, a chemist must isolate one of the components in the purest attainable form at bench-scale without sophisticated industrial equipment.
(1) For each sample (A, B, and C), identify the separation technique that would be most effective for isolating the indicated component (silica from water, methanol from the liquid mixture, and Dye X from the dye mixture).
(2) For each choice in part (a), describe the property difference that makes the technique effective, referencing particle size, boiling point, or intermolecular interactions as appropriate.
(3) Explain, at the molecular level, why the chosen technique would fail or be significantly less efficient if applied to either of the other two samples.