Which of the following pairs of compounds could be separated by recrystallization or distillation?
(c)

Recrystallization is a purification technique used to separate compounds based on their solubility differences. In this process, a solid compound is dissolved in a hot solvent and then allowed to cool, leading to the formation of pure crystals. The impurities remain dissolved in the solvent, allowing for the isolation of the desired compound. This method is particularly effective for separating compounds with different melting points.

Distillation is a separation technique that exploits differences in boiling points of compounds. In this process, a mixture is heated to vaporize the more volatile component, which is then condensed back into a liquid and collected separately. This method is commonly used for purifying liquids and can effectively separate compounds that have significantly different boiling points, making it suitable for mixtures of liquids.

Stereoisomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula and connectivity of atoms but differ in the spatial arrangement of their atoms. This category includes enantiomers and diastereomers, which can exhibit different physical properties. Understanding stereoisomerism is crucial for separation techniques like recrystallization and distillation, as these methods can exploit differences in the physical properties of stereoisomers to achieve effective separation.