Chromatography is used to separate components of what type of mixture?

Chromatography is used to separate components of what type of mixture?

• A. Heterogeneous mixtures
• B. Pure substances
• C. Elements
• D. Homogeneous mixtures

Answer: (D)

Chromatography relies on differential partitioning between a stationary phase and a mobile phase to separate components that are dissolved in the same solvent. This means it works on a homogeneous mixture, where multiple substances are present in one phase (a solution) and have different affinities for the two phases. If you start with a pure substance, there’s only one component to separate, so nothing to resolve. Elements are also single-component substances, not mixtures to be separated. Heterogeneous mixtures contain distinct phases, so they aren’t the typical target for this kind of separation. So, chromatography is used to separate components of a homogeneous mixture.

Chromatography relies on differential partitioning between a stationary phase and a mobile phase to separate components that are dissolved in the same solvent. This means it works on a homogeneous mixture, where multiple substances are present in one phase (a solution) and have different affinities for the two phases. If you start with a pure substance, there’s only one component to separate, so nothing to resolve. Elements are also single-component substances, not mixtures to be separated. Heterogeneous mixtures contain distinct phases, so they aren’t the typical target for this kind of separation. So, chromatography is used to separate components of a homogeneous mixture.