SciOly- Forensics

Chromatography

A technique used to separate components of a mixture.

Analyte

The substance being analyzed in chromatography.

Mobile phase

The solvent in which the analyte is dissolved and which moves through the stationary phase.

Stationary phase

A solid material that the mobile phase travels through, used for separating the mixture.

Rf (Retention Factor)

A value between 0 and 1 representing the ratio of the distance traveled by the analyte to the distance traveled by the solvent.

Normal-phase chromatography

A type of chromatography where the stationary phase is polar and the mobile phase is non-polar.

Reverse-phase chromatography

A type of chromatography where the stationary phase is non-polar and the mobile phase is polar.

Paper chromatography

A type of normal-phase chromatography where cellulose in the paper acts as the stationary phase.

Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

A technique using a thin plate as a stationary phase and a solvent as a mobile phase, similar to paper chromatography.

Column chromatography

A type of chromatography involving a bed of material in a tube through which the stationary phase flows.

Gas chromatography

A method using gases to separate and analyze volatile compounds.

Liquid chromatography

A technique for separating dissolved ions and molecules in liquid solutions.

GC-MS

Gas chromatography combined with mass spectroscopy, used for identifying unknown substances.

Affinity for stationary phase

A term describing how strongly a component interacts with the stationary phase in chromatography.

Affinity for mobile phase

A term describing how strongly a component interacts with the mobile phase in chromatography.