8 Gas chromatography in practice
The video clip provides some further background to gas chromatography, as well as demonstrating the practical aspects of this technique. Once you have watched this you should answer the questions below.
Watch the gas chromatography video [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (this takes you to an external website). (Open this link in a new window, so you can get back to the instructions easily.)
The video referred to the retention time of a compound. What is the meaning of this term and on what factors will it depend?
Answer
The retention time is the time taken for a particular compound to elute from or leave the column. This will depend on the stationary phase, length of the column, its temperature and the flow of the gas, as well as the properties of the compound itself.
How does the peak area for a compound change with concentration?
Answer
The peak area increases with increasing concentration of a particular compound.
7 Differences between compounds - size of molecules and polarity