Unit 2 Learning aim C: Undertake chromatographic techniques to
identify components in mixtures.
Chromatography is a laboratory technique that separates components within a mixture.
The mixture is dissolved in a liquid or gas which carries the components (called the mobile
phase) through the part of the apparatus that does not move with the sample (called the
stationary phase). The varying components of the mixture travel at different speeds,
causing them to separate. This separation is based on the differential affinity between the
mobile and stationary phases.There are four types of chromatography; liquid, gas, paper
and thin-layer chromatography In this assignment I undertook three individual
experiments using two of the chromatography techniques, paper chromatography of
amino acids as well as paper chromatography of extracted plant pigments and thin-layer
chromatography of extracted plant pigments. I used the paper and thin-layer
chromatography techniques to separate said mixtures, which enabled me to identify the
components within these mixtures.
Experiment 1: Using paper chromatography, I wanted to identify all the components
within the spinach leaves by observing the colours/pigments that were present in
spinach leaves (extracted plant pigments) and calculating their Rf value.
Introduction: Paper chromatography is a process which separates dried liquid samples
through a liquid solvent (mobile phase) and a filter paper strip (stationary phase). The
special filter paper is used to identify the different components within a mixture. The
components within the mixture dissolve in the liquid solvent and move up the filter paper.
Generally, the heavier components move up the paper more slowly and the lighter
components move up the paper faster. This results in the heavy and light components to
be separated from each other, enabling one to identify and determine all the components
within the mixture.
In this experiment the mixture used was extracted plant pigments (from spinach leaves),
which contains photosynthesis pigments such as chlorophyll, a green pigment, (chlorophyll
A being dark green, chlorophyll B being yellow/green) and carotenoids, a yellow/orange
pigment, (xanthophyll being yellow, carotenes being faint yellow) and protective pigments
(anthocyanins being red/purple/blue in colour).
Hypothesis: From this knowledge, I can expect to see most of these coloured pigments on
the chromatography paper and I predict that the photosynthesis pigments will be the more
dominant and present on the chromatography paper.
identify components in mixtures.
Chromatography is a laboratory technique that separates components within a mixture.
The mixture is dissolved in a liquid or gas which carries the components (called the mobile
phase) through the part of the apparatus that does not move with the sample (called the
stationary phase). The varying components of the mixture travel at different speeds,
causing them to separate. This separation is based on the differential affinity between the
mobile and stationary phases.There are four types of chromatography; liquid, gas, paper
and thin-layer chromatography In this assignment I undertook three individual
experiments using two of the chromatography techniques, paper chromatography of
amino acids as well as paper chromatography of extracted plant pigments and thin-layer
chromatography of extracted plant pigments. I used the paper and thin-layer
chromatography techniques to separate said mixtures, which enabled me to identify the
components within these mixtures.
Experiment 1: Using paper chromatography, I wanted to identify all the components
within the spinach leaves by observing the colours/pigments that were present in
spinach leaves (extracted plant pigments) and calculating their Rf value.
Introduction: Paper chromatography is a process which separates dried liquid samples
through a liquid solvent (mobile phase) and a filter paper strip (stationary phase). The
special filter paper is used to identify the different components within a mixture. The
components within the mixture dissolve in the liquid solvent and move up the filter paper.
Generally, the heavier components move up the paper more slowly and the lighter
components move up the paper faster. This results in the heavy and light components to
be separated from each other, enabling one to identify and determine all the components
within the mixture.
In this experiment the mixture used was extracted plant pigments (from spinach leaves),
which contains photosynthesis pigments such as chlorophyll, a green pigment, (chlorophyll
A being dark green, chlorophyll B being yellow/green) and carotenoids, a yellow/orange
pigment, (xanthophyll being yellow, carotenes being faint yellow) and protective pigments
(anthocyanins being red/purple/blue in colour).
Hypothesis: From this knowledge, I can expect to see most of these coloured pigments on
the chromatography paper and I predict that the photosynthesis pigments will be the more
dominant and present on the chromatography paper.
