Question

The retention factor, or Rf, is a number that describes the position of a spot on a chromatography plate relative to the position of the solvent on the chromatography plate. What are the minimum and maximum values of Rf?

Answer 1

Rf = distrance travelled / Total distance

Note that

distance travelled <= Total distance

That is, the total distance will be the maaximum value of the distance travelled by the species.

Therefore

max value = 1; since distance travelled / total distance --> 1/1

the minium value is then, 0, we start counting from the reference line/value which is 0

0/1 = 0

min value = 0

This makes sense since this is a reference value, will be from 0% < x < 100% or 0 < Rf < 1