ACTIVITY: PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY
Name: Reamey Destriza Grade & Section: Grade 12-Curie Date Performed:August 20, 2019
Bvreanchtz Calaging Date Submitted: August 29, 2019
Angelica Llasos
Elionah Dee Tablan
Meca Sun
Lanimae Absalon
Krisha Joy Jemang
Kliah Analucas
Jurelyn Delfin
Deanese Sumagaysay
Salvador Gonzaga
Joshua Mendoza
Elwin Malait
Erwin Segurate
Jerico Perez
OBJECTIVES: 1. To describe how paper chromatography works.
2. To identify which liquid will best separate the components of the markers.
MATERIALS: 3 binder clips vinegar
3 beakers or clear wide-mouthed glasses rubbing alcohol
3 black white board pens (same brand) water
3 sticks or new pencils (should be long enough) filter papers
PROCEDURE:
1. Cut the filter papers into three strips, measuring 0.5 inches by 8 inches each.
2. Using the black pen, draw a dot on one end of each of the three strips of filter paper. All three dots should
be the same size.
3. Attach each three strips to a pencil/stick by the unmarked end, forming a ‘T’ shape. Lay each pencil on
the rim of a beaker such that the marked ends of the strips almost touch the bottom. Adjust the stri ps if
needed.
4. Pour one liquid into each beaker until it just barely touches the tip of the filter paper. Do not submerge
the paper into the liquid.
5. Observe what happens. Record your observations.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
OBSERVATION ON CHROMATOGRAPHY USING THE FOLLOWING SOLVENTS
WATER VINEGAR ALCOHOL
Among the three solutions, set The ink in set up B having a The ink in set up C containing
up A which contain the water vinegar solution had spread alcohol solution had spread
solution had the least spreading slightly and had the medium widely and had the fastest speed
of ink and the slowest speed of speed of travelling towards the of travelling towards the phase
travelling towards the phase. phase compared to those in Set among the three set up solutions.
up A containing a water solution
and in Set up C having an
alcohol solution.
QUESTIONS AND ANALYSIS
1. What happened to the ink in each solvent?
Based on the experiment that we had conducted, the ink in each solution did not change much except
for the vinegar which is the set up B; the ink in this solvent was slowly spreading.
2. Which solvent separated the components of the pen successfully?
Set up B which contains vinegar solution had successfully separated the components of the pen
because of their different properties; the color of the marker travelled at different speed.
3. What is the independent variable in the experiment? The dependent variable?
The independent variable in the experiment are the solutions: the water, vinegar, and alcohol. While
the dependent variables is the size of the black dot in the filter paper.
4. What made the separation of the components of the ink possible?
The separation of the components of the inks are made possible because of the various pigments of
the marker that had different properties - some of it are heavier, some are lighter and some are more
soluble in water.
5. How will you describe chromatography based on the experiment?
Based on the conducted experiment, paper chromatography is a separation technique that works based
on the compound interactions as those compounds tend to move within a supporting medium. And this
technique helps in analyzing, identifying, purifying and quantifying unknown separable mixtures.
CONCLUSION
After completing the experiment, each pigment present was separated and identified based on its
solubility to the solvent and the value of each pigment was determined based on their distance traveled.
Each pigment moved up the chromatography paper based on their solubility and was measured from the
line of the origin to the point where the pigment had stopped traveling up.
Due to the procedural error, we had submerged the filter paper in the liquids instead of barely letting the
tip of the filter paper touch it and letting the liquids move up.
Based on our data, it can be concluded that chromatography is a simple yet an efficient technique in
separating colored chemicals or substances for testing the purity of compounds and in identify in the
components of mixtures. As the components of mixtures travel at different speeds towards the phase, it
separates, thus acquiring it's affinity. This separation takes place because of the components of a mixture
having different affinities for the two phases, the stationary and mobile phase. Therefore, the components
moved at different rates through system.
