Paper chromatography

2 marks · Normal

Give two reasons why different dyes in a mixture travel different distances up the paper in chromatography.

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Also accept: Different solubility in the solvent; Different affinity for the paper

Common mistakes: Dyes move because of colour; Solvent always dissolves all dyes equally

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Marking points

B1 · 1 mark · Mentions different solubilities of the dyes in the solvent.

B2 · 1 mark · Mentions different affinities of dyes for the paper.

Worked solution

Different dyes travel different distances because: (1) they have different solubilities in the solvent; (2) they have different affinities for the paper (they 'stick' to the paper to different extents).