How can you extract pure pigments from a sample of leaves in a form that you could test the absorbency of the various pigments??I don't know how to extract enough pigment in order to fill a cuvette and measure the absorbance, please help!! :D
Separation of plant pigments using chromatography. Paper chromatography is a useful technique in the separation and identification of different plant pigments. In this technique, the mixture containing the pigments to be separated is first applied as a spot or a line to the paper about 1.5 cm from the bottom edge of the paper. The paper is then placed in a container with the tip of the paper touching the solvent. Solvent is absorbed by the chromatographic paper and moved up the paper by capillary action. As the solvent crosses the area containing plant pigment extract, the pigments dissolve in and move with the solvent. The solvent carries the dissolved pigments as it moves up the paper. The pigments are carried along at different rates because they are not equally soluble. Therefore, the less soluble pigments will move slower up the paper than the more soluble pigments. This is known as developing a chromatogram.
