In the Biology Lab, we separated the dyes that are present in chocolate candies. We utilized the solubility in a solvent versus the retention on a stationary phase using paper chromatography. Please calculate the Rf:
| Color | Distance (cm) | Rf | |
| Red | Red 1.5 | ||
| Green | Blue 7.5 Yellow 4.3 |
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| Orange | Red 1.4 Yellow 4.5 |
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| Yellow | Yellow 4.6 | ||
| M&M Orange | Red 1.5 Yellow 4.6 |
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| M&M Red | Red 1.3 | ||
| M&M Brown | Red 1.7 Yellow 3.1 Blue 7.1 |
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| M&M Green | Yellow 1.7 Blue 6.7 |
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| Solvent Front | Front 8.6 | ||
The mobile phase was a saltwater solution. What do we learn from the Rf of each food coloring dye assuming they are of equivalent mass and/or size?
