Chromatography
A family of separation techniques that partition components between a stationary and a mobile phase.
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Components that interact more strongly with the stationary phase move more slowly and so separate along the system. Because the partitioning is repeated thousands of times as the sample travels, chromatography resolves mixtures that no single equilibrium step could separate.
Examples in the real world
Separating plant pigments on paper; resolving hundreds of components in a crude oil sample by GC.