Extracting refers to the process of removing a specific substance or component from a mixture or environment. This can occur in various fields, such as chemistry, where substances are separated for analysis, or in mining, where valuable minerals like gold or copper are obtained from the earth. In everyday life, extracting can also apply to cooking, such as when vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol to capture their flavor. The goal of extracting is to isolate the desired element while minimizing the presence of unwanted materials.