3. What is Chromatography?
Chromatography is a technique for separating mixtures into their components in order to analyze, identify, purify, and/or quantify the mixture or components.
Analyze
Identify
Purify
Quantify
Separate
Mixture
Components

4. Definition of Chromatography
Simplified Definition:
Chromatography separates the components of a mixture (ink in our experiment) by their attraction to the mobile phase (water in our experiment) and the stationary phase (filter paper in our experiment).
Explanation:
Ink is placed on filter paper (stationary phase)
Water (mobile phase) is soaked up & passes through the filter paper (stationary phase)
Water (mobile phase) breaks down the ink components
Water (mobile phase) carries the individual components of the ink a certain distance along the filter paper (stationary phase), depending on their attraction to both of the phases (water & filter paper)

5. Illustration of Chromatography
Stationary Phase
(filter paper)
Separation
Components
Mixture
(Ink)
Mobile Phase
(water)
As the water is soaked up through the filter paper and reaches the ink dots, the component colors of the ink separate and are carried with the water along the filter paper. The different components travel to different heights on the paper.