What is chromatography and how does it work?

What is chromatography? Chromatography is a technique carried out in laboratories to separate components into simple or complex mixtures. There are many different types of chromatography, ranging from paper chromatography and thin layer chromatography to gas chromatography. Although there are many forms of chromatography, they all operate on the same principle. All the different types feature a stationary phase - usually a solid - and something to carry the complex mixtures through the stationary phase, called the mobile phase, which is usually a gas or a liquid. The different types of chromatography can be categorized depending on the type of...