Name
Name
Name
Name
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in
plants that captures the light energy for
photosynthesis.
Part 1: Extract pigments from leaves
Research question: Which solvent, water or acetone, is better at extracting the green pigment
from leaves?
Materials:
leaves
vials
acetone
pipettes
water
mortar & pestle
How will you answer the question and extract the pigment?
Observations:
Conclusions:
Part 2: Separate the pigments
Research question: Is chlorophyll the only pigment in leaves?
Materials:
chlorophyll solution
colorimeter
silica gel strips
hexane
vials
hot plate
watch glass
pipettes
pigments
Concentrate your solution to about 1 mL on the watch glass/hot plate. Draw a line ~1/2 inch from
the bottom of your silica gel strip with a pencil. Spot your pigment on the line with a pipette. Put
the strip in a vial and add hexane to the bottom. The hexane level must be below the line.
How many separated pigment spots do you observe? Label them alphabetically, starting at the
top.
How does the observed color relate to the light absorbed by the pigment?