Chromatography

This session in science we are starting to learn about chromatography, a technique where we separate a mixture of compounds. Currently, we are doing an experiment where we use a special type of paper in which we can put dots of colours of water-based felts and watch how they separate in conditions where the paper's tip is absorbing liquid which is H2o from the container that we've used and the dots of colours that we put in previously separates and expand their colour up to the top of the paper.

The process of doing this experiment is not as time-consuming as some other ones that we have been doing; merely taking a couple of minutes to complete and for it to operate properly. Not only that, but it doesn't need much equipment to do.
Materials include:

• Filter paper
• Water
• Cup
• Felt pens (Water-based)

Step 1:

Start off with a normal sized cup approx, 8.5 cm in length.

Step 2:

Cut out the filter paper into 4 by 10cm.

Step 3: 

Measure 2cm from the top of the paper crosswise and mark out with a pencil.

Step 4:

On the opposite side, measure in 1cm crosswise also with a pencil.

Step 5:

Use 3 kinds of colour of your choice water-based felts and mark them with the same space in between.

Step 6:

Finally, observe the reaction and separation of the compounds.

What I've observed:

In the colours that I've used, black, red and green. My observation is that green, which is a secondary colour has separated into its primary colour, which we know consist of yellow and blue. the next colour red has only gotten paler, turning from red to pink as it rose up from its original placement.

Lastly, the black has seemingly turned into a mixture of both of the other colours.