Chapter 1 Interpreting Graphics Figure 1 Separation of a mixture of chemicals. Component A is moving along the column
faster than Component B, which is moving faster than Component C.
Liquid chromatography (LC) is a technique often used by analytical chemists to
separate the components of a mixture. In liquid chromatography, a mixture is placed
at one end of a long tube, or column, which is packed with microscopic beads. The
components in the mixture move from one end of the column to the other by means
of a liquid that is flowing through the column. Different components move along the
column at different rates. Each component of a mixture has a characteristic retention
time, or time it takes the component to cross the column.
When a component reaches the end of the column, it passes through a detector,
which plots the amount of material exiting the column against time.

Questions:
1.) How many components were present in the original Mixture?
2.) Which component has a retention time of approximately 8 minutes?
3.) What is the approximate time of component B?
4.) Which component crossed the column first? (Shortest retention time)
5.) Which component crossed through the column last?
6.) Which of the components in the mixture was present in the greatest amount (greatest peak area in the detector plot)?