Chemistry · Virtual lab
Paper Chromatography
Separate pigments from spinach leaves and flowers and determine their Rf values.
Background
Paper chromatography is a technique for separating mixtures of dissolved substances based on differences in their affinity for the stationary phase (the paper) and the mobile phase (the solvent). As the solvent travels up the paper by capillary action, each component moves at a different rate, producing distinct spots.
The Rf (retention factor) value, the ratio of the distance a component travels to the distance the solvent front travels, is characteristic of each substance under given conditions and is used for identification.
In this virtual lab you extract pigments from spinach leaves and flower petals, spot them on chromatography paper, develop the chromatogram in a suitable solvent, and calculate Rf values for each separated pigment.
What you will learn
- Prepare plant pigment extracts for chromatographic analysis
- Set up and run a paper chromatography experiment
- Observe the separation of pigments as the solvent front moves
- Calculate and interpret Rf values
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Related experiments
- Thin Layer Chromatography: Separate a mixture of amino acids on a silica plate, develop it with ninhydrin, and identify the unknowns from their Rf values.
- Column Chromatography: Pack an alumina column, load a leaf pigment extract, and separate carotene from the chlorophylls with a solvent gradient.