IntroductionIn this experiment we worked with paper chromatography. Before discussing the experiment in detail, we must first review what exactly paper chromatography is. Paper chromatography is a certain technique used to separate different mixtures. It uses a specific type of paper made from cellulose and contains a solution that separates the mixture into the several substances that make up that mixture1. Paper chromatography can also test the purity of mixtures2. Paper chromatography was first developed in the very early 1900s by a Russian scientist named Mikhail Tsvett. He conducted an experiment to understand how to separate the different pigments in green leaves. He discovered that if he crushed the leaves and added them to a powder, the different pigments in the leaves would separate. Years later, two English scientists, Martin and Synge, developed this technique and developed the paper chromatography process that we used in this experiment. They first used their paper chromatography method to separate amino acids from proteins, earning the scientists a Nobel Peace Prize3. The method and chemistry behind paper chromatography is very important to understand. The paper chromatography process is separated into two different phases, the stationary phase and the mobile phase. The stationary phase consists of cellulose-based chromatography paper and a liquid supported on the paper4. This can be represented by the inks placed on the chromatography paper in experiment 17. The mobile phase consists of a liquid which passes through the stationary phase and carries with it the different components of the sample4. The two phases work together to separate the mixtures.In or...... middle of paper...... Easy Touch Red Bic Red4 Pilot V Ball Pilot V Ball RedIn order to determine the unknown inks, I compared the colors, the length they have traveled and their reaction to UV light. For the first ink, I was able to determine what type of pen the ink came from by looking at the color and details of the ink on the chromatography paper. For the second ink, I was able to identify the pen type by also looking at the color and length traveled on the chromatography paper. The third ink was difficult, because the pattern on the chromatography paper resembled two other inks. However, I was able to determine which pen the ink came from by looking at the chromatography paper under the UV light. For the fourth and final ink, I was able to determine which pen the ink came from by looking at the pattern on the chromatography paper and looking at it under the UV light.6.