Question

How is 'chromatography' applied in the separation of coloured constituents present in a mixture of ink?

Answer 1

Simple chromatography is carried out using a strip of filter paper. A spot of the dye is placed near the bottom of the paper and the paper is then placed upright in a suitable solvent, e.g. water. The ink is soluble in water. As the water rises on the filter paper it takes along with it the dye particles. Usually, a dye is a mixture of two or more colours. The coloured component that is more soluble in water, rises faster and in this way the colours get separated.