Chromatography chromatography

What is chromatography? It’s a technique used to separate the components in a mixture

Why do we use chromatography? We can use chromatography to separate the components of inks and dyes, such as those found in pens, markers, clothing, and even candy shells.

Chromatography can be used to separate the colored pigments in plants

It can also be used to see if certain species are closely related to each other by using samples of their DNA

How is it done? You place a mixture on a piece of chromatography paper Place the end of the paper in a solvent

important rule The line of dye on the strip must NOT touch the solvent

The components on the paper will start to travel up the paper The colors of the components will separate and form a banding pattern of colors

The components of the mixture that are more soluble {dissolves better} will travel faster and farther up the paper The color at the top of your banding pattern on your chromatogram is the color that was more soluble

Examples of Chromatography Liquid Chromatography Used to identify unknown plant pigments & other compounds. Paper Chromatography Can be used to separate the components of inks, dyes, plant compounds (chlorophyll), make-up, and many other substances Thin-Layer Chromatography Uses thin plastic or glass trays to identify the composition of pigments, chemicals, and other unknown substances. Gas Chromatography Used to determine the chemical composition of unknown substances, such as the different compounds in gasoline shown by each separate peak in the graph below.