Given below are two statements: Statement I: During steam distillation, the organic liquid vaporises at a temperature lower than its normal boiling point. Statement II: In steam distillation, the organic liquid boils when its individual vapour pressure becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Step-by-step solution

Statement I is correct. In steam distillation, a mixture of steam and the volatile organic compound boils when the sum of their vapour pressures equals the atmospheric pressure. Since the partial vapour pressure of the organic liquid is less than the atmospheric pressure, it vaporises at a temperature lower than its normal boiling point. Statement II is incorrect. The mixture boils when the total vapour pressure ( P = p₁ + p₂ ) equals the atmospheric pressure, where p₁ and p₂ are the vapour pressures of water and t