A pharmaceutical chemist Runs a chromatography test on a substance and identifies two of its components by comparing their RF values against certain standards . if the two components have RF values of 1.0 and 0.41 and the solvent front has traveled 12.0 cm from the samples origin what is the separation distance on the chromatogram?

Question

Please help I think we take 0.41 and multiply it by 12 but I'm not sure... Please help thanks:)

Answer 1

Yes, the RF value is the ratio of the distance the solute moved to the distance the solvent front moved; so 0.41 = x distance/12
x = 12 x 0.41 = ? cm

Answer 2

Alright so I got 4.92 and then 12 x 1 = 12 so now how do I get my separation distance?

Answer 3

Wouldn't that be 12 cm - 4.92 cm = ?
The one component with RF value of 1.0 means it is at the solvent front of 12 cm as you calculated and that is 12 cm.
The other one is at 4.92.
. zero cm
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|x 4.92 cm
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+x 12 cm solvent front and one component.