Background Information and Research
1. Paper chromatography is a method that is used to detect substances that have dissolved in a solution. Basically a chromatogram is made from substances that you want to test. You do this by removing small bits of an ion on a developing paper and putting them in a developing solvent.
2. Contaminants in rainwater Analysis of narcotics Detection of substances in urine http://www.discoveriesinmedicine.com/Bar-Cod/Chromatography.html +Materials
Skittles
Rubbing alcohol
2 Coffee filters
2 plastic cups Pencil
Ruler
Tape
Foil
Table salt
Water
4 cotton swabs
Measuring cups
Clean pitcher
Paper towels
Sheet of writing paper
Gloves
Procedure
1. Cut 2 coffee filters into a rectangle measuring 3x9 cm .
2. Put 4 drops of water on the foil paper equal distance. Put one candy on each of the drops. Wait for the color to wear off into the water . Throw out the candy.
3. With the pencil draw a line one cm half an inch away from the edge of one end of one strip of paper. Before continuing make a prediction of the components you expect to see from each of candy colors.
4. Make 4 dots with the pencil . One for each color of the candy you will be expirmenting. About 0.5 cm apart. Under each dot, label the colors of the candy that you will test on that spot.
5. Next dip a cotton swab in one sample of the colored water and dab the color on the pencil dot for the color. Use a new cotton swab fro each. Make the dots small as possible. Let the coffee filter dry, then go back and add more color to each of the dots. Do this 3 times per dot.
6. Prepare the salt by mixing 1/8 teaspoon of salt and three cups of water in the clean pitcher. Mix the solution until it dissolves. This will make a 1% salt solution.
7. Pour the salt into the clean cup so that the liquid level is 1/4 inch.
8. Tape the strip to a pencil and put the pencil on top of the jar so that the strip hangs on the jar. Make sure that the colored spots do not come in direct contact with the liquid in the bottom of the glass.
9. Capillary action will draw the salt solution up the paper. As it passes through the dots, it will begin to separate the dyes. When the salt water is 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) from the top edge of the paper, remove it from the glass and place it on a clean, flat surface to dry.
10. Repeat steps two through nine (using the second strip of paper and a clean glass) to test the same four colors using the alcohol instead of the saltwater solution at the bottom of the glass.
Data and Observations
I thought that the salted solutuon was going to wash out the color but it didnt. It washed