Chromatography

Question 1

What is chromatography?

Answer 1

A technique for the separation of a mixture by passing it in solution or suspension through a medium in which the components move at different rates.

Question 2

What is chromatography used for?

Answer 2

Chromatography can be used as an analytical tool, feeding its output into a detector that reads the contents of the mixture. It can also be used as a purification tool, separating the components of a mixture for use in other experiments or procedures.

Question 3

What is Rf Value?

Answer 3

In thin-layer chromatography, the retention factor (Rf) is used to compare and help identify compounds. The Rf value of a compound is equal to the distance traveled by the compound divided by the distance traveled by the solvent front (both measured from the origin).

Question 4

Why do inks separate in chromatography?

Answer 4

Ink separates during chromatography because the pigments in ink have different polarity. The polarity determines how the individual pigments in ink

Question 5

Why do we use a pencil to mark the baseline in chromatography?

Answer 5

Because pencil is not affected by water unlike pen ink