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chromatography

The definition of chromatography is a process of separating out different parts of chemical mixtures onto an absorbent material that can then be individually analyzed because different parts are caught on the material at different rates.

(noun)

An example of chromatography is when a chemical reaction is used to cause each of the different size molecules in a liquid compound to separate into their own parts on a piece of paper.

See chromatography in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

any of various processes of chemical analysis in which the constituents of a mixture are separated into distinct bands or spots on an adsorbent material

Origin: chromato- + -graphy

See chromatography in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of various techniques for the separation of complex mixtures that rely on the differential affinities of substances for a gas or liquid mobile medium and for a stationary adsorbing medium through which they pass, such as paper, gelatin, or magnesia.

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