1. Boiling Point: Ethanol has a lower boiling point (78.37 °C) than water (100 °C). This difference allows for distillation, where the mixture is heated to a temperature between the two boiling points. The ethanol vaporizes first, is collected, and then condensed back into liquid ethanol, leaving the water behind.
2. Density: Water is denser than ethanol. This difference can be used for liquid-liquid extraction. A solvent that is immiscible with water and has a greater affinity for ethanol (like diethyl ether) can be added to the mixture. The ethanol will preferentially dissolve in the solvent, creating two distinct layers. The layers can then be separated, and the ethanol can be recovered from the solvent layer.
