Chemistry
How Liquid–Liquid Extraction Separates Analytes Based on Partition Coefficients
Quick fact
The partition coefficient was formally defined in the late 19th century by Walther Nernst, who discovered that an analyte distributes itself between two immiscible solvents in a constant ratio, independent of the total amount present.
Why this is interesting
You’ve probably shaken a bottle of salad dressing and watched the oil and vinegar separate. Now imagine that oil could selectively grab certain molecules out of the vinegar – this is the essence of liquid–liquid extraction.