You Need to Know How to Do Paper Chromatography Flashcards
What do you do first? (Draw)
Draw a line near the bottom of the sheet of filter paper - use pencil
What do you do second? (Add)
Add spots of different dyes to the line at regular intervals
What do you do third? (Loosely)
Loosely roll the sheet up and put it in a beaker of solvent e.g water
What does the solvent used depend on?
What’s being tested - some compounds dissolve well in water, but sometimes other solvents (e.g ethanol) are needed
What do you need to make sure they dyes aren’t doing?
Aren’t touching the solvent - don’t want them to dissolve into it
Why do you place a lid on top of the container?
To stop the solvent evaporating
What does the solvent do?
Seeps up the paper, carrying the dyes with it
What will each different dye do?
Move up the paper at a different rate and form a spot in a different place
What is the end result?
A pattern of spots called a chromatogram
