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Chemistry LibreTexts

2: Chromatography

  • Page ID
    476485
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    Learning Objectives

    Goals: 

    • Gain an understanding of the scientific method.
    • Design an experiment to test a hypothesis.
    • Gain a basic understanding of chromatography.
    • Upload images to a Google Worksheet
    • Please note the goal of this lab is not to master chromatography but for you to get the feel for chemistry as an experimental science by designing your own experiment and identifying variables that can effect the outcome.

    By the end of this lab, students should be able to:

    • Submit reports to Google Classroom
    • Upload images to a Google Worksheet

    Prior knowledge:

    • How to take an image with a cell phone camera and share it

    Concurrent knowledge:

    Further reading:

     

    Safety

    • Emergency Preparedness
    • Minimize Risk
      • Avoid flames as solvents are highly flammable
      • Do not start any work until your procedures are approved by the instructor.
    • Recognize Hazards
      • You will be designing a procedure to separate two solutes in a solution and need to maintain a clean workspace.  You will need to pick two of the three solvents and then see which works the best.  
      • All waste is placed in the labeled container in the hood and will be recycled when the lab is over.  Contact your instructor if the waste container is full, or about full.

     

    Equipment and materials needed

    Filter Paper Mortar and Pestle Scissors
    String Paper Clips Tape
    Paraffin Paper Glass Jars Fresh Green Leaves
    Isopropanol Limonene Ethanol

    Note:  Contact the instructor if there is something not on the above list, but the supplies in the above list should be enough for you to perform a multitude of experiments.

     

     

     

    PreLab

    Before lab you need to fill out the Prelab section of the worksheet in Google Classroom on designing your experimental procedures.  But first watch the following YouTube Video:

    4:23 min YouTube on Leaf Color Chromatography uploaded by Alex Dainis (https://youtu.be/qH-AJDqsSII?si=LxedFyF9vLt1zPZg)

     

    Tips

    In designing experiments you need to think of variables that you can control and then develop your procedures that take these into account.  Here are some possible factors that may or may not influence the outcome.

    • Type of Solvent
    • Height of paper
    • Is the Jar open or sealed?
    • Does the paper touch the side of the jar?
    • How deep the paper is in the liquid
    • How concentrated the solute is
    • How elution time (how long you run the experiment)

     

    Lab

    Once your procedures are approved by the instructor you may set up and run your experiment.  Take pictures of the setup and the outcome as the experiment proceeds.  Each group must run at least two jars, and vary something between the experiments.  

     

    PostLab

    Go to the Google Classroom and access your Google Doc and fill out the postlab section


    2: Chromatography is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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