Fun with Leaf Chromatography!
Shine a light on the fascinating world of chromatography! Students investigate different colored pigments in a variety of different colored leaves. By using isopropanol and chromatography paper, students separate the different pigments that make up the color of the leaf. They learn to analyze data by collecting and recording information after assembling an experiment in which they use the paper chromatography method. Students further learn about pigmentation by making sense of the process of the phenomena of photosynthesis. Students learn that producers (e.g., plants), have chlorophyll which absorbs the sunlight to produce the food they need to survive and the type of chlorophyll a plant has affects the color of the plant.
A student sorting leaves from the outdoor investigation.Copyright 2019 Melissa Saldaña, University of Texas RET
Chromatography is used in a variety of fields such as environmental, biochemical, and chemical engineering. Environmental engineers use chromatography to identify toxic substances in drinking water. Biochemical and chemical engineers use chromatography to examine different components that can be found in items such as: pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. Microbiologists can analyze different bacteria in plants by utilizing chromatography.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe what chromatography is and how the process works.
- Analyze that a leaf is a mixture of color pigments by assembling an experiment in which they will separate the colors using the paper chromatography method.
- Comprehend that the compound chlorophyll is located inside a plant’s cells and it absorbs the sunlight to start photosynthesis.