Question

For a gas chromatography experiment, the retention time for m-xylene (pure) is 7.294 seconds. If m-xylene is placed in a mixture with para xylene and o-xylene, will the retention time for m-xylene change or remain the same?

Answer 1

If m-xylene is placed in a mixture with para xylene and o-xylene, will the retention time for m-xylene change.

because A gas chromatograph a chemical analysis instrument, is uses a flow-through narrow tube known as thecolumn, through which different chemical constituents of a sample pass in a gas stream (carrier gas, mobile phase) at different rates depending on their various chemical and physical properties and their interaction with a specific column filling, called the stationary phase.

as, o,m,p-xylene have slightly different in polarity. since o-xylene is more polar compare to other , again m-xylene is more polar compare to p-xylene. they have different boiling point.hence, their interaction with inert gas during GC is diferent, therefore their the retention time for o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene change