Given that the stationary phase utilized in this experiment consisted of silica gel, a very polar substance due to the large amount of hydroxyl groups present on the surface, more polar components should travel less on the gel. Polarity creates a slight negative atom and a slight positive atom due to the differences in electronegativity. This may cause a more polar component to have a …show more content…
In this experiment, thin-layer chromatography was used to identify the ingredients of an unknown analgesic drug. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a method of chromatography that utilizes a solid stationary phase and a liquid solvent as a mobile phase. The stationary phase is generally performed on a sheet of plastic, glass, or aluminum, with a thin layer of absorbent on top. Once the substance in question has been applied to the TLC plate, a solvent, known as the mobile phase, is drawn up the plate by capillary action and causes the different components to travel up the plate at different