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Jennifer Sanantha, 9.1
Ibu Kusumawati
Science
24th of September 2011
PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY
Objective: To find out if different kinds of paper (tissue, tissue paper, brown wrapping paper,
printer, and filter paper) affect on the clarity of the separated colors.
Hypothesis: The separated colors will be clearest on the filter paper, then tissue paper, tissue,
printer paper, and last, brown wrapping paper, as filter paper has just the right size and even
pores and characteristic (absorbency) for a chromatography procedure.
Variables=
Independent Variables: Types of paper (kitchen towel, tissue, wrapping, printer, and filter paper)
Dependent Variables: The clarity of the separated colors on each paper
Controlled Variables: Pencil, distance from water to paper (touching the tip the paper in each
beaker), water, size of each paper, size of each container (beaker), the ink (purple non-permanent
marker), position of where the ink of the purple marker is on each paper
Materials:
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Purple non-permanent marker (brand: Snowman)
1 tissue paper
2 printer paper
1 filter paper
1 brown wrapping paper
1 tissue
300 ml of water in total
1 large beaker (to hold the water before the experiment is done)
5 small beakers (250 ml beakers)
5 wood pencils
5 pieces of tapes
A pair of scissors
1 ruler
1 unit of DSLR camera
Methods:
-
Cut the tissue, filter paper, printer paper, wrapping paper and tissue paper into 9 cm by 3
cm strips
-
Draw a line on each paper using the marker, 2 cm from the bottom of each paper
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Tape the tip of each paper (0.5 cm from the top of the paper) in the middle of a pencil
-
Put each pencil on top of each beakers, leaving the papers hanging down in each beaker
-
Pour the water into the five of the beakers until it touches the edge of each paper
-
Wait until the water reaches the top of the paper
-
Take out the papers
-
Stick it on the white piece of A4 printer paper
-
Document the result using the camera
Results=
Data Organization & Presentation:
Tissue
Paper
Tissue
Filter
Paper
Printer
Paper
Brown
Wrapping
Paper
Types of Paper
Rankings (1, clearest to 5, unclear)
Filter Paper
1
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Brown Wrapping Paper
4
Tissue
3
Tissue Paper
2
Printer Paper
4
Explanation:
The result says that the separated colors can be clearest seen on the filter paper with a rank of 1,
after that tissue paper, then on the tissue, last are the brown wrapping paper and printer paper
with the same rank of 4. On the filter paper, the colors that made up the initial color from the
marker were separated evenly throughout the paper. It went from light purple, white, pink, then
back to its original color. An explanation of why the original colors are not red and blue is that
because some marker companies use a not-primary-colored ink base. At the end of the filter
paper, it still has its original color, as we think that the components just didn’t cling to the paper
perfectly which makes the limited length of the filter paper didn’t give it enough time to
completely separate the colors in the purple ink. Next after filter paper is the tissue paper that
gave the clearest result on separating the colors in the purple ink. On the tissue paper, the colors
that are separated are violet and light purple. Also, the colors on the tissue paper didn’t separate
evenly, which makes it less clear than the result on the filter paper. The third media that gave the
clearest result is on tissue. This soft textured tissue ranked as the third best media when doing
chromatography in this experiment, as it only did one-step in a chromatography process, which is
to bring the ink upwards to the tip of it (this particular process is called the capillary action). This
tissue media didn’t separate the ink, but only brought the ink upwards, that’s why it ranked less
than the tissue paper that separated a color from the initial ink. After that, the brown wrapping
paper and printer paper came and ranked as the fourth clearest media in this experiment to
separate colors. These two medias are together in the same rank, as both did nothing to the ink.
They both didn’t absorb the water that much, which makes the water not able to rise up through
the paper and bring the ink with it while separating the original colors by the pores of the paper.
Evaluation:
The data got is reliable, as we counted each paper precisely the same before the experiment was
done, the position of ink on the paper was also counted so it can be in the same place for every
media, the water, initial ink, and distance from water to the paper when experimenting too are
the same. The only difference made in this experiment is the types of paper, making this
experiment truly on comparing between the types of paper we used. However, the minus factor is
that we didn’t know the main colors the purple ink we used is made of. By not knowing that, we
were a bit confused at the experiment time if a particular color should or should not be there, if
some colors have been separated or not. Another minus factor of this experiment is that my
group and I analyzed the result based on human’s sense, visualizing. By that, we didn’t get an
accurate data on how much clearer the result of a media is to another (which actually is not really
possible at the experiment time too, as humans haven’t invented a machine that can count the
clarity of a picture). But still, using human’s sense to calculate something isn’t really reliable.
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That’s why it would be better if humans invent a machine that can accurately count the clarity of
a picture.
Conclusion=
Conclusion:
So the media that gives the clearest result when doing chromatography starts from the filter
paper, then tissue paper, after that is tissue, and last are the printer and wrapping papers. Filter
paper is the best media on doing chromatography with a purple non-permanent Snowman marker,
as its pores and absorbency level are able to separate the purple inked marker to its most
effective way compared to the other medias used in this experiment. This is proven from the
result that it could separate the most colors. It could separate three primary colors of the initial
colored ink, while the others can only separate not more than two colors from the initial colored
ink. Another thing that made filter paper the best way on using when doing chromatography is
because that its pores are even, which makes the colors that separate neat and so the viewers can
look at the result clearly.
Evaluation:
In overall, this experiment was successful, as we found out the answer to our objective. From the
medias tissue, tissue paper, brown wrapping paper, printer, and filter paper, the one that shows
the clearest result on separating the main colors from the initial colored ink is the filter paper. My
hypothesis is also correct, as the hypothesis that I wrote is the same as the conclusion found
through the experiment. However, in an experiment there is always an improvement that can be
made. For this experiment, what my group and I can do to make it better is to research more
thoroughly before doing the experiment (especially about the main colors that made up the initial
colored ink).
Extension:
Further inquiry for this experiment is maybe to experiment on more than just five types of paper.
Suggestion to expand this experiment is also maybe by experimenting if adding another source
of where the water touches the paper (so the water will touch the top and bottom of the paper)
will make the experiment still work or not. Another suggestion on how to expand this experiment
is by using various solvents. By this, it can also test on how solvents/mobile phase affect the
chromatography process.
Paper chromatography might be able to separate colors in a colored dye, however, still keep in
mind that there are also other processes/ways that are able to separate colors in a colored dye,
clearer or even less clear. The other ways include column chromatography, planar
chromatography and thin layer chromatography. To expand more on this experiment it would
also be better to test on those different chromatography processes and find out which one gives
the clearest result when doing chromatography.
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Bibliography
"7. Thin-Layer Chromatography." Courses.chem.psu.edu. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.
<http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem36/Experiments/PDF's_for_techniques/TLC.pdf>.
"Paper Chromatography." Iyc2011.ca. Chemical Institute of Canada. Web. 17 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.iyc2011.ca/index.php?ci_id=2330&la_id=1>.