Can compounds be separated by physical methods?

No, compounds cannot be separated by physical methods, they require chemical methods for separation.

Compounds are pure substances made up of two or more elements chemically combined in fixed proportions. They are different from mixtures, which are made up of different substances physically combined and can be separated by physical methods such as filtration, evaporation, distillation, or chromatography.

However, compounds are held together by chemical bonds, which are much stronger than the forces of attraction between particles in a mixture. This means that physical methods, which rely on exploiting these forces of attraction, are not sufficient to separate the components of a compound. Instead, chemical methods are needed to break these bonds and separate the elements.

For example, water is a compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen. You cannot separate water into hydrogen and oxygen by boiling it, filtering it, or letting it evaporate. Instead, you would need to use a chemical method such as electrolysis. During electrolysis, an electric current is passed through water, causing it to break down into hydrogen and oxygen gases.

Similarly, table salt is a compound made up of sodium and chlorine. You cannot separate table salt into sodium and chlorine by any physical method. Instead, you would need to use a chemical method such as heating it until it decomposes into its elements.

In conclusion, while physical methods are useful for separating mixtures, they are not effective for separating compounds. To separate a compound into its elements, you need to use a chemical method that can break the chemical bonds holding the compound together.