Explain how a crime lab could use paper chromatography to determine if lipstick found at a crime scene matched the lipstick of a suspect.

The lipstick from the crime would be crushed and dissolved in an appropriate liquid solvent. The lipstick would then be placed in one of the ink spots on the starting / base line of the paper. Another spot would be created for the lipstick with which it is being compared with.

The paper chromatogram would then be placed vertically on a solvent that acts as the mobile phase. After some time, when the solvent reaches the solvent front of the paper chromatography, by capillary action, the chromatogram can be removed and left to dry.

Bands will have appeared on the chromatography paper formed from the different components of the lipstick. The bands of the lipstick from the crime scene and that with which it is being compared to are observed. If the bands are all aligned, horizontally, then this means it is a complete match. The lipstick must have been the same used at the crime scene.

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adefioyelaoye adefioyelaoye · Answer 2 · 2021-11-23T14:06:12+01:00

Paper chromatography can be used to determine if lipstick on crime scene

is a match by comparing the color bands.

Paper chromatography is a technique used in the laboratory for the

separation of substances through the different degrees and rate of

migration.

In the scenario involving the lipstick , the constituents are separated as

substances have different rates of migration across sheets of paper. When

the lipstick found on the scene and the one which acts as the control is put

through that, a similarity in the vertical bands position generated as a result

of migration means it's a match.

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