Ink Lab Report

Dylan Tolbert

Mrs. Fed

Chemistry-(C)

23 October 2011

Radial Chromatography

Objective: to separate ink from black pen using a paper chromatography technique

Background: Chromatography is the separation of mixtures into their constituents by preferential absorption by a solid, as a strip of filter paper. There are many uses for Chromatography. It is used in Toxicology, separating and identifying different drugs of abuse. Also used in Sports Medicine when they test for illegal substances. In class we'll probably be using it with something on a smaller scale, and just separating colors.

Materials:

* Plastic cup

* Filter Paper

* Filter Wick

* Black pen

o Ticonderoga

o Mr. Sketch scented marker

o Liquid Fire pen

Hypothesis: If we separate black ink then it will be separated into two different colors.

Data:

Chromatography Paper

Pen Design Color

Ticonderoga Dots Purple at the ends, one edge surrounded by blue, bellow that is yellow and black, then bellow that is a black dot.

Liquid Fire Dots Two black lines, and black m's that fade to black then to white.

Mr. Sketch

& Ticonderoga Mr. Sketch- Lines

Ticonderoga- Dots Mr. Sketch-blue m, bellow blueish green, then red, then pink that fades to orange.

Ticonderoga- Same thing that happened before.

Ticonderoga:

Liquid Fire:

Mr. Sketch & Ticonderoga

Conclusion: My hypothesis 'If we separate black ink then it will be separated into two different colors.' was wrong, and also right. It was different because the Mr. Sketch pen made five different colors, and the Ticonderoga pens made four different colors. And I was right when I said two colors because the Liquid Fire pen was just blue and black therefore two colors were right. Some source of errors I avoided was the edge of the cup being wet. If it was that could mess up the results. I also avoided