Untitled Document

Title:Implementation of the paper chromatography experiment
Name: D’Andre Williams

Candidate Number:1000573297
School: Kingston College
Centre Number:100057
Introduction
Farmer Richards told one of his customers that he believes his pale red and dark red sorrel
contain the same plant pigments but the customer disagrees with him.Sorrel is a plant whose
leaves have a bitter taste and are sometimes used in salads and sauces. The health benefits of
sorrel include its ability to improve eyesight, slow the aging process, reduce skin infections,
strengthen the immune system, and improve digestion. It also builds strong bones, increases
circulation, increases energy levels, lowers blood pressure, increases appetite, and strengthens
heart health.Paper chromatography is a method used by scientists for separating organic and
inorganic compounds so that they can be analyzed and studied. By analyzing a compound, a
scientist can figure out what makes up that compound. Paper chromatography is a great physical
method for observing mixtures and solvents. It is an inexpensive but powerful analytical tool that
requires very small quantities of material.
Procedure
The extracts of pale red and dark red sorrel buds were prepared using ethanol that were provided.
A chromatography paper measuring 8cm by 5cm was obtained and then a pencil line, 1 cm from
the bottom edge of the paper, was drawn across its width. A capillary tube was immersed into
the pale red sorrel extract and then moved onto the pencil line thereby creating a spot. Using a
different capillary tube, the same thing was done with the dark red sorrel extract and a spot
placed on the line 2.6 cm away from the previous spot. During the experiment the beaker was
covered with foil paper. The spots were allowed to dry and then the chromatography paper was
positioned in a beaker containing 20 cm3 of ethanol. When the solvent front had risen up near to
the top of the paper, it was taken off from the beaker and the position reached by the
solvent(ethanol) front was marked with a pencil. The distance travelled by the solvent(ethanol)
was obtained and recorded. The distance travelled by each spot was also recorded. The retention
(Rf ) for each spot was calculated.
Results
TABLE SHOWING THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE EXPERIMENT
Type of Sorrel Distance Distance Retention

Travelled Travelled Factor (Rf)
by Spots by Solvent
(cm) (cm) Formula=
Distance
Travelled by
Spots/ Distance
Travelled by
Solvent
spot 1
(colour)
Pale Red 2.6 2.9 0.90
Spot 2
(colour)
Pale Red 2.0 2.9 0.69
Spot 1
(colour)
Dark Red 2.6 2.9 0.90
Spot 2
(colour)
Dark Red 2.0 2.9 0.69

Discussion
After carrying out the experiment, the results above are represented in a table. The distance
travelled by the solvent and the distance travelled by the spots were used to calculate the
retention factor. To get the retention factor the formula is, the distance travelled by the spots
divided by the distance travelled by the solvent. As shown in the table, the retention factor for
pale red spot 1 is the same retention factor for dark red spot 1 which was 0.90. The retention
factor for pale red spot 2 is the same retention factor for dark red spot 2 which was 0.68. Since
the retention factors are the same for spot 1 and spot 2 it means that it contains the same plant
pigments.
Limitations:Large quantities of sample cannot be applied on paper chromatography.

Source of error: The beaker was not covered with foil paper.
Precautions: It was ensured that the beaker was covered with foil paper.
Reflection
This experiment is relevant to real life as it assists law enforcement agencies in comparing a
sample found at a crime scene to samples from suspects to solve a crime. This experiment has
affected me personally as I have gained knowledge about the paper chromatography method and
I now know how it operates. There was a change to my procedure as compared to the original
P&D. The change added was that the foil paper was used to cover the beaker during the
experiment. This change was advantageous as if that was not done the paper chromatography
would not work properly thus giving inaccurate readings.
Conclusion
The aim was to determine if farmer Richard’s pale red and dark red sorrel contains the same
plant pigments using the paper chromatography technique. This was achieved successfully.

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Title:Implementation of the paper chromatography experiment

Name: D’Andre Williams

TABLE SHOWING THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE EXPERIMENT

Type of Sorrel Distance Distance Retention

Pale Red 2.6 2.9 0.90

Pale Red 2.0 2.9 0.69

Dark Red 2.6 2.9 0.90

Dark Red 2.0 2.9 0.69

Limitations:Large quantities of sample cannot be applied on paper chromatography.

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