A study on investigating the difference between cheap and expensive pens using paper
chromatography
The lab report:
Hypothesis: Why does expensive black felt tip pens shown more colours than cheap black felt tips
pens which shown less colours?
Independent: The different types of pen inks, acetone, and filter/chromatography paper.
Dependent: The colours produced and the Rf values.
Control: The solvent to see exactly how each felt tip pen reacts differently from one another, the
volume of the solvent this is to avoid having uncertainty, same number of dots, timings (timing how
long each colour goes up till end of the 1-hour session), & temperature.
Overview: The experiment involves three stages
- Make dots using the expensive & inexpensive pen
- Set up a paper chromatography run
- Attempt to identify the separate pigments
Introduction:
Chromatography is a technique which can be widely used for different experiments and its simple,
but advanced techniques which are used in everyday life. Chromatography is the separating of the
mixtures by passing it in solutions through a medium at which different components of the inks
move at different rates and see what colour have been produced and this can be calculated to find
the mean average to determine the colours produced. The experiment investigated that expensive
pen shown more colours than cheap pens. And why do companies portray different pens to better
quality than others it due to marketing & the pharmaceutical sales that do this to gain benefit from
schools and colleges. The reason for this chosen project is due to understanding the ways
chromatography is used within the pharmacy industry, since an interest in studying pharmacy at
university. Chromatography is utilised in many ways like preparing the large quantities of pure
materials to analyse the purified compounds for the trace contaminants example method
development & the validation of drugs, drug discovery & the drug development, the drug impurities
analysis. For instance, like liquid chromatography is useful in that for the analytical tool in making
sure that the components of the drugs formulation are established & discovering if there are any
impurities & quantifying the drug formulation. It can be a very vital skill to be expert in
chromatography to knowing the things have that pharmaceutical companies do mention that the
drugs are safely disturbed. That’s why chosen by doing the ink test for both expensive and cheap
black-felt tip pens and see the differences there are and the ones that should be recommended to
be bought. Also, there are some forensic scientists that use these techniques to solve crime by
,matching the letters or evidence from a stain from the crime scene to see what pen belongs to the
suspect.
Moreover, this can also help in analysing the unknown ink and comparing it the
utensils that are taken from the suspects. Since, the human brains presume that the
felt-tip pens have one colour its fascinating to see the unique colours that each felt-tip
pen produces and how its helped to make other products that tend to use in the human
lives and to see if a brand is either expensive or cheap. Also, the black felt-tip pens
brands, use different combinations of pigments in the black felt-tip pens. Are these
colours easy to make and where do it come from. This is fascinating, so if given an
expensive pen, it’s good to differentiate to see the different colours produced to cheap
black felt-tip pens that tend to the pen would last longer & produce better looking
quality of work. The chromatography procedures done can be very applicable in many
science experiments, which could be done in many units done last year like unit 2
practical scientific procedures and techniques.
A greater depth of understanding of knowing about that chromatography is applicable
in some many amazing science projects. On the internet there aren’t enough resources
that have done this type of experiment, so it would be great to do something different
than using fountain pens and the type of solvent that will be used for this experiment.
The fact that doing this chromatography its helpful in doing precise separation which
is brilliant for longer pharmaceutical industries to see what things they look for when
extracting drugs. The fact that it uses very low samples is essential for saving money
& want to discover if the solvents used tend to show the massive differentiation there
are with the expensive and cheap black felt-tip pens within terms of the colours that
had been used. The fact that chromatography is applicable for numerous applications
in chemical fields, which is biochemistry can be used for separating of chemical
compounds of biological origin. If given the opportunity is where the colours come
from and how each colour is extracted and if there are a lot of labour used to make
these pens.
Also, why do many colours are needed to make the black colour of the black-felt tip
pens.
Chromatography method:
1. Use the chromatography paper and cut in rectangular shape using the scissor,
that would fit into the 600 ml3 beakers from the bottom and edges (1st
experiment filter paper and 2nd chromatography paper).
2. Draw a line using a pencil and a ruler by 3 cm up from the bottom of each
paper (to avoid spot from going in the solution).
, 3. Label the defined spots using the pencil on the lines of each paper; paper 1
(expensive felt-tip pen) and paper 2 (cheap felt-tip pen). This is where would
place spots of the soluble felt-tip pens.
4. Label another line at the top of each paper within 1 cm, where allow the
solvent to travel up the papers before removing it from the solvent.
5. Mark 3 spots on each paper using the chosen felt-tip pens for each
chromatography paper. The spots can be average (not to small or big). But the
size must be identical on both papers & 1 cm spaced out between them
(concentration of the spots).
6. Put a paper clip at the top of each chromatography paper. And use the glass
rods to help to hook the paper inside each beaker. To allow the papers would
stay still and straight during the chromatography process. And making sure
that the bottom of the paper is touching the water, but not touching the mobile
phase.
7. Remove the papers now and start the solution and keep the temperatures the
same.
8. Measure 30 ml of distilled (1st experiment) and 100 ml (2nd experiment) water
using a 50ml measuring cylinder.
9. Pour the measured distilled water into the labelled beakers and mix.
10. Measure 20 ml of acetone (1st experiment) and 50 ml of acetone (2nd
experiment) using another 50 ml measuring cylinder.
11. Pour the measured acetone carefully into the same beaker and mix (with the
distilled water). Keep measuring cylinders near (label them to avoid
inaccuracies).
12. Repeat the steps for the 2nd beaker.
13. Make sure to put them at the papers at the same time and cover the top of
both beakers with aluminium foil sheets (avoid pushing the filter papers
down).
14. Just when the solvent has reached the line at the top of each paper, then
remove the papers from the beakers.
15. Mark the different pigments or dyes if observed on each paper, using a pencil
(label their colours if shown on the paper) & the solvent line draw a line for
it.
16. Calculate and record the Rf values for each colour spot of the pigments
shown on each paper and write down the colours.
17. Record the results on a suitable table.
Equipment:
1. 2x 600ml beaker
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