Name: ___________________________________ Period: ______

Chemistry 1. Mr. Saucedo

Separating Mixtures Using
Chromatography

Learning Objective: Students will be able to
separate mixtures using paper chromatography and
quantitatively analyze their results.

Concept: Chromatography is a way of separating a
mixtures based on the ability to stick to things (as we
will learn later this is called polarity). In this
experiment, the stationary phase will be a paper towel
and the mobile phase will be rubbing alcohol. Rubbing
alcohol is a very polar substance. By placing a small
dot of a sample on a paper towel and placing it in a
beaker of rubbing alcohol, you will be able to see the
effects of chromatography. The more polar a compound in the mixture is, the further it
will travel up the paper towel. The less polar a compound in the mixture is, the closer it
will stay to the original spot. Each compound will have its own unique color called a
chroma, and so you will be able to see that seemingly simple substances are made up
of many different compounds.

Materials: A small graduated cylinder, a large beaker, paper towels, a ruler, rubbing
alcohol, different types of markers/dyes, tape, and aluminum foil.

Procedure:

1) Cut 2 rectangular strips of paper towel around 1 in width and over 8 in height. Use a
ruler to help measure the strips accurately.

2) Cut the bottom of each strip so that it forms a trapezoid as
in the sample picture to the right.

3) Put a small dot of your sample 0.5 from the bottom of the
paper strip making sure that it is centered like in the picture to
the right.

4) Blow on the wet dot to dry it, and then add another dot on
top of it to make the dot as dark as possible. Repeat once
more if necessary.

5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other paper strip and your
other sample.

6) By the end of step 5, you should have two paper strips each
with its own unique spot.
Name: ___________________________________ Period: ______

Chemistry 2. Mr. Saucedo
7) Using a graduated cylinder, measure out 20 mL of rubbing alcohol. Add the rubbing
alcohol to the bottom of a large beaker.

8) Tape your paper strips to the side of the beaker if necessary so that they do not
move. Make sure that you do not submerge the ink spots in the liquid.

9) Using a piece of aluminum foil, cover the top of the beaker to prevent the rubbing
alcohol from escaping and wait for the solvent to move up the paper strips

Analysis Questions: Answer each of the following questions in complete sentences.

01. In this experiment, we used a polar compound as our mobile phase. As a result, the
more polar a substance was the further up the paper it will travel. What if we used a
nonpolar compound as our mobile phase? How do you think that would change the
results?

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02. How many chroma (colors) did you find in the black sharpie?

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03. How many chroma (colors) did you find in the other sharpie you chose?

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04. Compare your two paper strips. Draw a sketch of them in the space below along
with correct colors. Which chroma was
the most polar? Which was the least
polar?

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