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CAIE A-Level Chemistry 37.1.1 TLC Phases, Baseline, Solvent Front and Rf

Practise defining the parts of a TLC experiment and relating spot and solvent-front distances to Rf.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Chemistry 9701
Level
A2

Exam points

  • name silica or alumina as a possible stationary phase and the moving solvent as the mobile phase
  • distinguish the baseline where samples start from the solvent front reached by the mobile phase
  • define Rf as spot distance from baseline divided by solvent-front distance from the same baseline

37.1.1—And understand the terms question 1

[Maximum number: 1]

A student uses thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to analyse a mixture containing different metal cations. The student repeats the experiment using different solvents.

Fig. 6.1 shows the chromatogram obtained by the student using water as a solvent.

Fig. 6.1

Fig. 6.1

Suggest a compound that could be used as the stationary phase in this experiment.

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