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📘 Start with the baseline and solvent front

Read a TLC plate from the pencil baseline up. Mark the origin, each spot center, and the solvent front before you calculate anything.

3
lessons
~15 min
to learn
Adults
level
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What you’ll learn

  1. Read the plateMeasure spot and solvent-front distances and calculate Rf.Rf is spot travel divided by solvent-front travel from the same baseline origin.
  2. Compare and interpretCompare unknowns to standards and relate travel to phase interactions.Matching Rf under identical conditions supports a component; polarity trends are solvent-dependent.
  3. Conclude reliablyState a qualified chromatography conclusion with limitations.Report spot count, approximate Rf values, standard matches, and separation limits.

Questions this course answers

What is the Rf formula in planar chromatography?

Rf compares how far the spot travelled with how far the solvent front travelled, both measured from the origin.

What does one sample lane with three resolved spots usually suggest?

Distinct spots indicate material travelling to different positions, although detection and resolution limit the claim.

Why should an unknown be run beside a standard?

Matching Rf values on the same plate provide evidence for a component match under those conditions.

What does a low Rf on silica often indicate?

Strong stationary-phase interaction tends to hold a compound nearer the origin.

Which conclusion is most defensible?

A qualified conclusion reports the observed pattern, comparison evidence, and limitations.

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