Identifying inks of similar color to each other through simple observation is almost impossible as the colors can appear identical to the human eye despite differing in composition. Therefore, further examination of the ink components is necessary. Ink is a mixture of substances, and these substances have varying molecular polarities. The inherent properties of the ink components enable ink separation through adsorption chromatography, where the ink is separated based on attraction to a moving phase (liquid) and a stationary phase (TLC plate). Using the Rf equation, you can determine the Rf value to numerically determine the similarity in inks"R" _"f" "=""distance from the origin to the center of the stain" /"distance from the origin to the solvent front" ( Eq. 1) For the purpose of this experiment, I try to disprove which ink was used to write a letter by comparing Rf values ​​and colors through adsorption chromatography. But before we began this experiment, the class asked a series of questions to guide our thinking; the questions were: What is the ID of the unknown ink? Can we say with certainty whose pen wrote the letter? What is the best solvent? As stated previously, ink is made up of components with varying polarity, and to separate these components we must determine the liquid and stationary phase that does this best. One of the three suspect inks is extracted with a 50% ethanol mixture and dotted onto 7 pieces of paper to be immersed in different solutions. Each solution varies in polarity with the stationary phase held constant (paper). The solution with the greatest separation of components within the ink will then be used on a TLC (polar) plate to test all four inks (3 suspect inks at...half of the paper...period, complete separation and component total, like those seen in the first part of the experiment, did not occur. This source of determining error decreased the Rf values. Furthermore, after inserting my TLC plate into the solution, I tripped and threw the TLC plate into the solution. vase The solution splashed onto the TLC plate, the solution moved upwards and was absorbed onto the TLC plate without capillary action. Since not all of the splashed solution was absorbed, it may have dragged some of the components down of the ink or allowed for faster capillary action. This source of indeterminate error distorted the result of the Rf values, increasing or decreasing the distance the ink traveled. I don't think this was a big source of error because the components of the unknown ink and pen no. 3 however rose to similar values ​​with similar separation.