How do you separate water from from a mixture of oil and water?

Answer 1

Just let them sit and the oil will all rise to the top and float on top of the water. The best way to then separate them is with a separatory funnel -- a teardrop shaped container with a stopcock at the bottom. It allows you to drain out the water from under the oil.

See the Related Questions for more information.

Answer 2

By the process of distillation.

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You use an oil-water separator.

An oil-water separator is a tank with a wall in the middle of it. The center wall doesn't go all the way to the bottom. The tank has one side wall higher than the other side wall. The side with the high side wall is the inlet side; the other is the outlet side.

You start by filling the separator with clean water. Then you start pouring contaminated water into the inlet side. Oil floats on water, so as you pour the oil will float to the top and the cleaned water will force its way under the center wall and out the outlet side. Usually there's a container on the inlet side to catch the oil as it floats its way out of the tank.

Every car wash in the world has one of these.

Answer 3

It is possible to reduce the solubility [and the suspension] of oil in a

water phase several ways:

1. Add a soluble ionic salt, preferably a polyvalent salt like MgSO4

[epsom salts] available at a pharmacy. This both reduces the solubility of

the oil, and coagulates any oil emulsified in the water, which frequently

happens.

2. Distillation. Boiling and condensing the water vapor should be pretty

effective since the components in "oil" usually have a low vapor pressure

compared to water.

3. Partially freeze the oil/water, throw away about 1/4 to 1/3 of the

unfrozen water.

Repeat this 2-4 times, discarding the 1/4 to 1/3 unfrozen water. The

principle here is that the crystal structure of water [ice] with all those

hydrogen bonds is complicated and doesn't allow impurities to "fit" into the

lattice spaces. A "cool" example of this is to freeze some distilled or

deioized water in your frig. You will find about 1/2 of the ice cube is

crystal clear -- pure water -- the other half will be opaque, because the

water becomes saturated with atmospheric N2 and O2. Repeat this experiment

with freshly boiled water (de-gassed) and note the difference. (source- http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99726.htm)

Answer 4

by using separating funnel we can separate oil and water in small quantity.
separating funnel is a thine and tall funnel.
wen we put the mixture of oil and water in it oil float above water. then by using the valve in the lower part of the funnel water com down and we close the valve after water completely out the oil now remains in the funnel .
fahmy elattar

Answer 5

Oil is hydrophobic, meaning it doesn't actually dissolve in water. If you have a mixture of oil and water, let the solution sit for a while, and the two substances will eventually separate, with the oil on top.

Answer 6

Oil can be separated from water using many domestic methods. However, if it requires a laboratory method, then oil can be separated from water using a burette. Take the mixture in a burette. Since oil is lighter than water, it floats over water. Open the lower mouth of the burette, using the stopper, and allow the water to pour out of the burette, carefully, keeping in mind that water doesnot take along it even the oil. As all the water pours out, and the oil level comes to the bottom, switch off the stopper, thus the water and oil is separated. If the water is alos required, then just store the water pouring out of the burette in a beaker. This is how oil and water is separated generally in a laboratory.

Answer 7

• Oil does not dissolve in water and usually has a different density so you can separate them by "decanting" (carefully pouring off the less dense liquid).
• Freezing will also separate the liquids as oil and water freeze at different temperatures.
• Distillation will separate but might be a little tricky.

Answer 8

because oil is insoluble in water and it is lighter the oil floats on the water

Answer 9

um i don't no how to d it so don't ask me :) lol ah I got to fart