Paper Chromatography Lab Report

Leah Romero
10/30/2017
Conclusion Lab 3
Chem 102L

In lab 3, fundamentals of chromatography, the purpose was to examine how components of mixtures can be separated by taking advantage of different in physical properties. A huge process in this lab was paper chromatography, which was used to isolate food dyes that are found in different drink mixes. The different chromatograms of FD&C dyes were compared to identify which dyes are present in each of the mixes. Chromatograms where made for the known FD&C and for the three Kool-Aid samples. The retention factor for each dye was calculated. F or each of the Kool-Aid flavors, 2.0 g was weighed out from the packet and 5mL of water was mixed in with them each. mL of 0.1% NaCl solution was added to 100mL of bottled water. The six chromatography strips

For the orange, the distance the band traveled was 39mm and the distance solvent traveled was 39mm and the Rf was calculated at 1mm. For strawberry the distance band traveled 38mm and the distance the solvent traveled was 41mm and the calculated Rf was .927mm. The colors for strawberry, orange and grape Kool-Aid are made with food dye. There is also salt that is found in Kool-Aid that is why when placed in the tubes containing %NaCl, the solvent caused the drops on the strips to travel so far. The results in this were expected. In this lab, human error could have possibly been that the salt wasn’t fully dissolved or even the Kool-Aid wasn’t fully dissolved. To fix this next time, both mixtures can be stirred a little longer. A third human error could have been when putting 20 drops into the test tubes, some drops were bigger than others causing there to be more than mL of mixture in the test tube. At the end of the lab, a red and yellow M&M were used to do a home material test. I dissolved the color off the shell with warm water and placed a dot of each color onto a strip of chromatograph and placed them in two individual