This page introduces year 7 students to the concept of chromatography.
Structure and features
- Watch the video to learn about separating pigments in felt tip pens.
- Draw a picture to demonstrate what you learnt in the video about chromatography.
- This experiment shows how you can separate the dyes used to make the colour of smarties. Have a try yourself at chromatography by following the instructions in this experiment.
If you don’t have any smarties, you can use M&Ms or non-permanent textas.
A good substitute for chromatography paper to use at home is hand towels or coffee filter papers.
Links and files
Teacher notes
- Science understanding strand
- Chemical sciences
- Year 7
- Pure substances and mixtures.
Separation technique on chromatography - this video may be used for revision.
Water can be used for the solvent for smarties (coloured lollies) and non-permanent ink markers.
You may like to try permanent ink markers, however use methylated spirits as the solvent.
