Scribd
Upload
20 views

Chromatography Lab

Uploaded by

biggs.teacher
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views

Chromatography Lab

Uploaded by

biggs.teacher
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

WLHS/Biology/ Monson Name

Date Per
LAB: Plant Pigment Chromatography
solvent front
BACKGROUND: blue
Photosynthesis begins when light is absorbed by pigments in the
plant cell. One technique for separating and identifying these pigments is purple
paper chromatography. In paper chromatography, solvent moves up the
paper carrying with it dissolved substances - in this case, plant pigments.
The pigments are carried along at different rates because they are not vellow
equally soluble in the solvent and are attracted in different degrees to the origin

paper.
Many green leaves contain pigment colors that are not seen until autumn because they are
hidden by the chlorophyll. A few plants have leaves that are red, orange, or yellow all year long.
In this investigation, you will use paper chromatography to determine what differences exist in the
plant pigments of various colors of leaves. You will also determine which leaves or which parts of leaves
contain the chlorophyll necessary to carry out photosynthesis.

PRELABQUESTIONS:
1) What are the requirements for photosynthesis to occur?

2) Why do some trees appear green during the spring and summer, but then red/ orange / yellow in the

fall?
3) What are two factors that cause pigments to move at different rates during paper chromatography?

Problem/research question: Which plant pigments can be found in different colored leaves?

Materials:
2 pieces of filter paper coin pencil fresh spinach leaf
1 150 mL beaker ruler red leaf such as coleus leaf
1 glass plate (cover for beaker) SCISSors 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

Procedure:
1)Make two filter- paper rectangles that are each appr ximately 10 cm by 3 cm. Using a pencil, draw a
base line 1.5 cm from the bottom of the long side of each rectangle.

2) Place a spinach leaf over the pencil line on one ofthe rectangles. Roll the coin over the leaf so that a
horizontal green line is transferred to the pencil line. Repeat this step with the red leaf and second filter-
paper rectangle.
*NOTE: you can't have too much pigment! Make sure your line ofpigment is dark!!

3) Add just enough isopropyl alcohol to the beaker to cover the bottom. Do NOT add more than 1 cm to
ensure that the pigment line will not be submerged when the paper is lowered into the beaker.
CAUTION: avoid inhaling the alcohol.

4)Lower each paper rectangle into the beaker containing alcohol. The solvent will begin to move up the
paper and cause the pigments to move as well.
5) Cover the beaker with a glass plate. Do not disturb the beaker for approximately 15 minutes, or until
the solvent is about 1 cm from the top of the paper.

6) When the solvent is about 1 cm from the top of the paper, remove the paper and mark the farthest
point of the solvent's progress (front line) with your pencil before this line evaporates.

7) Allowthe flter-paper strips to dry, and then make a sketch of each chromatographs. Some possible
colors and the pigments they represent are
faint yellow/ orange - carotenes olive green - chlorophyll b

yellow xanthophyll red anthocyanin


blue green - chlorophyll a

(see sample chromatogram diagram on the last page for possible sequence resuits)

Observations: DATA TABLES


TABLE1:SPINACH LEAE
LINE/PIGMENT: Distance from bottom Color Observed: Probable pigment:
of paper (cm)
Pigment origin 1.5cm NA(not applicable) NA

1 (closest to bottom)
2
3

5 (front line)
Solvent front (mark with
yourpencil)_ NA NA

TABLE2: RED LEAF


LINE/PIGMENT: Distance from bottoom Color Observed: Probable pigment:
of paper (cm)
Pigment origin 1.5 cm NA(not applicable) NA
1 (closest to bottom)
2

5 (front line
Solvent front (mark with
your pencil) NA NA
POSTLAB QUESTIONS / ANALYSIS:
1) Sketchyour two chromatograms in the
image here. Label the colored lines
with their distance traveled
from the origin, and the likely
identity of that pigment.

2) Why is chromatography useful?

3) Why are chlorophyll a & b green? (or, why do they appear green to us??)_

4) Why do leaves change colors in the fall?

5) How could you predict the color a tree's leaves will turn in the fall?

6) What is the main function of the green pigments (chlorophyll a & b)?

7) What are some functions of the plant pigments that are NOT green?

(on to next page!)


8) Use the chromatogram shown
here to complete the table below.
Solvent Front (12cm
from solvent front)

Xanthophyl!(Icm)
Carotene (7.7cm)

Chlorophyla (5.2cm)

Chlorophyllb (4.7cm)

Pigment/Solvent Origin (lcm)

t o calculate the Ri value:

Rr distance moved by pigment from originalspot


distance moved by solvent from original spot

Chlorophyll a Chlorophyl b Xanthophyll Carotene

Pigment/ solvent
origin
Pigmentfront
Solvent front
R value

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy