Magic marker inks are often mixtures of several compounds. paper chromatography is a common method of separating various components of a mixture. after separation, you can observe the different colors that make up a particular color of magic marker ink. you can also calculate a ratio rf, which compares how far each compound traveled to how far each solvent (substance that dissolves another substance) traveled during the experiment. rf = ds/df ds = distance traveled by the compound df = distance traveled by the solvent materials: post-lab questions:
1. what evidence is there that marker ink is a mixture?
2. each compound in the marker ink is represented by a color. did one compound travel farther than the others? explain why you think that this is the case.
3. did the compounds travel farther in the water or the isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)? explain why you think that this is the case.
4. how could you improve upon the accuracy of your rf measurements?

1. What evidence is there that marker ink is a mixture? 
Paper chromatography, simply place a dot from a marker on a strip of filter paper. 
Then touch the lower end of the paper with the dot about 2 cm above it to a liquid solvent such as alcohol. The liquid solvent will climb the filter paper strip and drag the different colored pigments out of the marker dot, showing that black ink for example may consist of two or three individual colored pigments.
Each compound in the marker ink is represented by a color. Did one compound travel Farther than the others? Explain why you think that this is the case
Answer :I’m not sure. Pink traveled Further then the others. I think pink traveled morebecause it might have had more components mixed in to get the color
Did the compounds travel Farther in the water or the isopropyl alcohol(rubbing alcohol)? Explain why you think that this is the case
It traveled Faster in rubbing alcohol. I think it traveled Faster in rubbing alcohol because the Fumes where pushing it up Fast then in water. It did not seem to travel at all or significantly enough For me to see. I may have done something wrong, or regular paper does not work as well as filters.
How could you improve upon the accuracy oF your RF measurements?
Answer : I could have used millimeters instead of centimeters.