The closest I can find to a reason for streaking is that the sample spot was overloaded. Here is the link and it's at the end of the page.
http://orgchem.colorado.edu/hndbksupport/TLC/TLC.html
so we did this lab on chromatography, and in the beaker was 10 mL of HCI and 35 mL of acetone.
IF the distilled water used to prepare the HCI solution in this experiment passed through iron pipes, then the HCI will be contaminated with FeCl3. Examine your chromatography paper carefully. If this impurity is present, it will appear as a streak of color across the length of the paper, rather than as a spot. WHy? If it is not present, still explain why its presence as an impurity would result in a streak rather than a spot.
My paper does seem to have any streak, but still why would its presence as an impurity result in streaks rather than a spot?
2 answers
It will appear as an orange/brown stain across the WIDTH of the paper because it moves with the solvent front up the paper.
It appears across the WIDTH of the paper because it is present in the mobile phase.
It tends to be more obvious than you might expect because of the white of the paper.
It appears across the WIDTH of the paper because it is present in the mobile phase.
It tends to be more obvious than you might expect because of the white of the paper.