How do you use chromatography of skittles?
Chromatography is a way to separate mixtures into new components. The simplest way to do this with Skittles is using paper chromatography using something like a coffee filter. You can get the pugment out of the Skittles in about an hour of work.
Materials
- Skittles candy
- Coffee filter
- Clean, empty 2-liter soda bottle
- Table salt
- #2 pencil
- Ruler and scissors
- Water
- Plate
Procedure
You will need to break down the skittles into smaller pieces and then take the following steps:
- Cut out the bottom of the coffee filter and use a #2 pencil to draw a line about 1 cm from the edges.
- Using the pencil, create small circles separated by about 5 mm and then label them with the names of the colors (first letter is fine)
- On a plate, add a drop of water for each color you are using (space them about 1 inch apart) and gently rest the Skittle in the water. Wait about 2 minutes and then remove the candy.
- Use a toothpick to pick up the water and drop it onto the corresponding pencil dot on the paper filter. Repeat 3 to 4 times or until there is enough pigment to notice significantly.
- Prepare a salt solution with 1/8 teaspoon of table salt and 3 cups of water and place into a clean, empty large soda bottle and replace the cap. Shake until dissolved (should be a 1% salt solution).
- Pour the salt solution into a clear glass up to 1/2 cm. high, ensuring the level is below the dots.
- Place the paper into the solution and allow the capilarry action to soak the salt solution through the paper. This will separate the dyes from the stationary phase (the paper) into the liquid phase (salt water) creating the mobile phase (movement of the dye in the solution).
- Once soaked completely, remove the filter and place on a dry, flat surface. Allow to dry.
- You can view the final colors that separated after the solution has dried on the paper.
i think that you have to crush the skittles first (so that you can hardly see them) then filter the subtance in then do the chromatography process. sorry if this isnt much help an it might be wrong so you will have to check i am at secondary school and throughout all of my years of being at school i never got taught if you can use chromatography on solids… oh well…
