PreLab Questions: Chromatography
Please type and submit the answers to the following questions:
1. What property of molecules allows chromatography to work?
2. What is an “eluent”?
3. One reason for running TLC plates would be to track the progress of a reaction
running in the lab. What are the other two reasons for doing thin-layer
chromatography?
4. List two common adsorbents used for TLC?
5. If you “spot” the plate, what are you doing?
6. If you “develop” the plate, what are you doing?
7. What would be the purpose of the filter paper wick inside the developing chamber?
8. What does it mean when the visualization is “nondestructive”?
9. What is wet-column chromatography used for?
10. If you pack the cotton/wool too tightly into the bottom of the column, what
problem will result?