Chromatography is a useful method for separating the substances in certain mixtures. There are many physical processes which may be used to separate mixtures, but chromatography will not be as obvious to students as others such as filtering, evaporation, or using a magnet. Because the substances which make up certain mixtures dissolve at different rates, these substances can be separated by chromatography. Chromatography was developed in the early 1900's when a Russian scientist, Mikhail Tsvett, …showed first 75 words of 346 total…

…showed last 75 words of 346 total…appear on the filter paper. Each color will be a single dye that was in the ink. The distance that a particular dye traveled on the filter paper is a physical property of that dye. Dyes that are most soluble will travel fastest and will therefore reach the highest level on the filter paper. Dyes that are less soluble in the specific solvent will travel more slowly and not reach as far on the paper.