Question

You performed paper chromatography on some marker ink and found that one of the pigments had a retention factor of 0.25. The total distance the solvent traveled was 8.0 cm. How far did the pigment travel?

Answer 1

The pigment traveled a distance of 2.0 cm from the original line of application on the chromatography paper, which was determined by multiplying the retention factor (0.25) by the total distance the solvent traveled (8.0 cm).

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the distance the pigment traveled in the paper chromatography experiment, you can use the retention factor (Rf) formula:

Rf = (Distance traveled by the substance) / (Total distance traveled by the solvent)

In this case, the retention factor is given as 0.25 and the total distance the solvent traveled is 8.0 cm. To find the distance traveled by the pigment, you can rearrange the formula:

Distance traveled by the pigment = Rf × (Total distance traveled by the solvent)

Distance traveled by the pigment = 0.25 × 8.0 cm = 2.0 cm

The pigment traveled a distance of 2.0 cm from the original line of application on the chromatography paper.