Which technique is used to separate components dissolved in a liquid or gas, such as the components of ink?

Which technique is used to separate components dissolved in a liquid or gas, such as the components of ink?

• A. Chromatography
• B. Distillation
• C. Filtration
• D. Crystallization

Answer: (A)

Chromatography separates dissolved components by how strongly they interact with the stationary phase versus how well they dissolve in the moving phase. In ink, the dyes are dissolved in a solvent, and as the solvent moves through a medium (like paper or a thin layer), each dye has a different affinity for the solid support and for the solvent. This causes some dyes to travel farther and others to stay behind, resulting in distinct spots that reveal the individual components of the ink. Distillation relies on boiling points to separate liquids, filtration isolates undissolved solids, and crystallization forms solid crystals from a solution—none of these exploit the differential movement of dissolved components like chromatography does.

Chromatography separates dissolved components by how strongly they interact with the stationary phase versus how well they dissolve in the moving phase. In ink, the dyes are dissolved in a solvent, and as the solvent moves through a medium (like paper or a thin layer), each dye has a different affinity for the solid support and for the solvent. This causes some dyes to travel farther and others to stay behind, resulting in distinct spots that reveal the individual components of the ink. Distillation relies on boiling points to separate liquids, filtration isolates undissolved solids, and crystallization forms solid crystals from a solution—none of these exploit the differential movement of dissolved components like chromatography does.