EXPERIMENT No.

7
AIM
: To separate the coloured components present in a mixture of red and blue ink by ascending paper chromatography
and find their Rf values.

APPARATUS :
Gas jar, Glass rod, Filter paper strip (whatman Filter Paper 1), jar cove, fine capillary tube

REQUIREMENTS: Red and blue ink mixture, alcohol and distilled water.

THEORY: In this type of chromatography a special adsorbent paper (Whatman filter paper) is used. Moisture
adsorbed on this Whatman filter paper acts asstationary phase and the solvent acts as the mobile phase.
The mixture to be separated is spotted at one end of the paper. This paper is then developed in a particular solvent by
placing the paper in a gas jar, taking care that the spot is above the solvent. The solvent rises due to capillary action
and the components get separated out as they rise up with the solvent at different rates. The developed paper is called
a chromatogram. R f (retention factor) values are then calculated, which is the ratio of the distance moved by the
component to the distance moved by the solvent front.

PROCEDURE:
1.Take a Whatman filter paper strip (20 x 2 cm ) and draw aline with pencil above 4 cm from one end. Draw a another line length wise
from centre of paper .
2. With the help of capillary tube, put a drop of mixture of red and blue ink at the point P. Let it dry in air. Put another drop on the same
spot and dry again. Repeat it 2-3 times so that the spot is rich in mixture.
3. Suspend the filter paper vertically in a glass jar containing the solventwith the help of glass rod.
4. Cover the jar and keep it undisturbed for 10-15 minutes.
5. take the filter paper out of jar and mark the distance that the solvent has risen on the filter paper with athe pencil.This is called solvent
front.
6. Dry the paper. Put pencil marks in the centre of the blue and red ink spots.
7. Measure the distance of the two spots from the original line and the distance of the solvent from the original line.
8. Calculate the Rf values of the red and blue ink by using the formula.

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Rf= 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒.

OBSERVATION AND CALCULATIONS

SN Substance Distance travelled by Distance travelled by Rf Value

different components from solvent from the base
the base line line
1 Mixture of red and blue ink …………cm (Red Ink) ………cm …………
2 Mixture of red and blue ink …………cm (Blue Ink) ………cm

Precautions:
1. Use good quality pencil for drawing the reference line.
2. Always use capillary tube for putting spots.
3. A spot should be small and rich in mixture.
4. Allow the spot to dry before putting the strip in the the jar.
5. Do not allow the spot to dip in the solvent.