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C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation

Chromatography separates photosynthetic pigments because solvent movement carries pigments different distances according to their solubility and interactions with the stationary phase.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
C1.3.4
Level
HL

Exam analysis

Chance of appearing4%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2025
Most common paperPaper3
Typical marks1–2

Common command terms

  • Identify
  • State
  • Outline
  • Describe
  • Explain

Recent exam appearances

November 2025Paper1B ["HL"] · TZ33(e)[ 1 ]C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation
May 2025Paper1A ["HL"] · TZ18[ 1 ]C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation
November 2024Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ03(c)[ 1 ]C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation
November 2024Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ03(a)[ 1 ]C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation
May 2024Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ13(c)[ 2 ]C1.3.4—Photosynthetic pigment separation
Practice this objective

Coverage 2017–2025 · Updated 15 Jul 2026

Concept essentials

  • Chromatography separates pigments because they move different distances with the solvent.
  • Rf equals pigment distance from the origin divided by solvent-front distance from the origin.
  • Known Rf values and colours help identify separated pigments.
  • Organic solvents extract photosynthetic pigments from leaf or algal tissue.
ConceptIB Biology HL