Of all the analytical techniques you will learn in this class, the most powerful will be chromatography. Chromatography is used to separate components in a mixture. In a real chemistry research lab, chromatography may be used to separate ions, proteins, DNA or a host of other molecules. It is an invaluable technique, that irregardless of style is based on the same general principles that you will be learning in this experiment.

 

Bands of DNA Separated by Chromatography	Bands of Color Dyes Separated by Chromatography

 

Paper chromatography is a version of thin layer chromatography. Thin layer chromatography is often used in forensics to separate and identify inks and other dyes found in trace evidence. In this experiment, you will be using paper chromatography to identify the food color dyes Mars™ company uses to color their M&M© candy shells.