Final answer:
In paper chromatography, solutions are separated as they move up the paper by capillary action. This happens because different components in the mixture have varying solubilities in the mobile phase and different affinities for the stationary phase. The paper would show a series of spotted components at various heights from the baseline.
Step-by-step explanation:
In paper chromatography, solutions move up the paper due to the capillary action in the small pores of the paper, which acts as the stationary phase. The paper is often referred to as chromatography paper. When the paper is placed in a suitable solvent, the mobile phase, the solvent travels up the paper by capillarity. As it moves, it carries along the different components of the mixture that was applied at the baseline. The components that are more soluble in the solvent move faster and farther up the paper than those that are more strongly adsorbed to the paper. Thus, the mixture is separated into different spots.
The paper would appear as a series of spots, each corresponding to a different component of the mixture, distributed along the path where the solvent has moved. These spots will vary in their distance from the initial application point depending on the different affinities of the components for the stationary phase and their solubilities in the mobile phase.