After completing the experiment on identifying pigments from

After completing the experiment on \"identifying pigments from chloroplast using thin layer of chromatography\", this were the results,

A) How can i explain why i only got one chlorophyl pigment for the spinach? What could have been the reason for this? B) Is the black ink from the black sharpie marker made of one pigment? What are the colors of the pigments? Does it make sense?

Solution

Thin layer chromatography is used as a general laboratory experiment to separate pigments from plant specimens. In this technique, the plant sample is crushed and a concentrate of it is applied on one end of the paper. The paper is allowed to settle in a mobile phase, normally acetone or alcohol. As the alcohol moves up through the paper via capillary action, the pigments of the plant concentrate dissolve and move through the paper according to their concentration.

According to the question, only a single color band is observed in the spinach concentrate and no band is observed in the marker lane. The possible explanations could be as given below:

Thus, these reasons could possibly explain the observations and rectification of the mobile phase would yield better results.