Results:

Table 2.1 : Spinach Extract

Distance solvent travelled in mm: 65


Pigment (observed colour) Distance Pigment
Moved (mm)
Rf = distance pigment travelled
distance solvent travelled
Carotene (yellow-orange) 63 0.96
Xanthophylls (yellow) 61 0.93
Chlorophyll a (blue-green) - -
Chlorophyll b (yellow-green) 18 0.28
Chromatography Strip:
















Table 2.1 : Carrot Extract
Distance solvent travelled in mm: 66

Pigment (observed colour) Distance Pigment
Moved (mm)
Rf = distance pigment travelled
distance solvent travelled
Carotene (yellow-orange) 65 0.98
Xanthophylls (yellow) 52 0.78
Chlorophyll a (blue-green) - -
Chlorophyll b (yellow-
green)
- -
Chromatography Strip:
Questions:

1. What does a small Rf tell you about the characteristics of the moving molecule?

A small Rf shows that the size of the moving molecule is large.




2. Is it possible to have an Rf greater than 1? Why or why not?

An Rf value will always be in the range 0 to 1 and cannot be greater than 1 because if
the substance moves, it can only move in the direction of the solvent flow, and cannot
move faster than the solvent.




3. The accepted theoretical Rf values for each pigment in green plant extract are as follows :
carotenes = 0.98 ; chlorophyll a = 0.59 ; chlorophyll b = 0.42 ; xanthophylls = 0.67 .
Use these values to calculate the percent error of your experiment separating the spinach
extract. Show your work in the table below.

Percent error = experimental value - theoretical value 100%
theoretical value


Pigment Percent Error Calculations
Carotenes


|0.96 0.98|
100% = 2%
|0.98|

Chlorophyll a



-


Chlorophyll b



|0.28 0.42|
100% = 33%
|0.42|
Xanthopylls






|0.93 0.67|
100% = 39%
|0.67|