To determine the appropriate temperature for distillation in order to separate potable water from salt water, we need to consider the boiling point of water and the melting point of salt.
Here is a step-by-step explanation:
1. Identify Boiling and Melting Points:
- The boiling point of water is [tex]\(100^\circ \text{C}\)[/tex].
- The melting point of salt is [tex]\(800^\circ \text{C}\)[/tex].
2. Understand Distillation Process:
- In distillation, we aim to evaporate water to separate it from salt.
- This requires heating the solution to a temperature where water will evaporate but salt remains in its solid form.
3. Determine the Appropriate Temperature:
- To ensure effective distillation, we need to heat the solution to a point slightly above the boiling point of water to guarantee its evaporation.
- This temperature should be well below the melting point of salt to prevent any risk of salt melting into the water.
By choosing a temperature just slightly above the boiling point of water, we can ensure that water evaporates while salt remains solid.
Therefore, they should heat the reaction flask to [tex]\(101^\circ \text{C}\)[/tex].
