Most likely, the average person off the street couldn't tell you exactly what chromatography is. I, however, can tell you this, and much more relating to the subject. Chromatography is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "a process in which a chemical mixture carried by a liquid or gas is separated into components as a result of differential distribution of the solutes as they flow around or over a stationary liquid or solid phase." Not all mixtures can be separated using any one form of chromatography, so various methods have been developed over the years. The most commonly used forms of chromatography are column, high performance liquid, ion, paper, thin layer, and gas chromatography. By separating the individual components of different mixtures, scientists are able to study the components much easier and more efficiently. In 1906, Russian botanist Mikhail Tswett became the discoverer of chromatography when he poured a petroleum-ether extract of green leaves over a column of powdered calcium carbonate in a vertical glass tube. By doing this he was able to separate each of the pigments and thus study each in depth. It wasn't until the 1930's that chromatography became w

One way to learn about chromatography in a high school lab is to form our own glass columns to use in column chromatography. This way we would feel more in touch with the columns and thus we would be more careful and our result would be more accurate. Another way would be if someone happened to donate some rather expensive thin layer chromatography plates for the AH and AP chemistry classes to use. We could separate all sorts of the things from various kinds of ink, to blood, to foods and beverages. As far as my personal feelings for chromatography are concerned, I think its swell! Honestly, having the power to separate a mixture containing hundreds of different microscopic components is pretty incredible. What can I say, chemistry rules.

Chromatography has become a very valuable tool for scientists and the affects of its employment are felt by nearly everyone. For example, by using gas chromatography, the over 100 individual compounds found in gasoline can be separated out and studied to provide us with car engines that are more efficient and last longer. People that live in places where "hard water" is a problem can get rid of their "soap scum" by using water softeners that operate on the basic principles of chromatography. Also, the agricultural runoff of farms can be separated using chromatography in order to see whether or not harmful chemicals are making their way into places they shouldn't. Chromatography can even be used to test for drug use among

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mikhail Tswett, Webster's Dictionary, Chromatography Research, stationary phase, thin layer, mixture separated, mobile phase, gas chromatography, paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, vertical glass, separated using, paper thin layer, calcium carbonate, glass tube,
Approximate Word count = 996
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)