Chromatograph

/ˌkroʊməˈtɒɡræf/ noun

Definition

An instrument or apparatus used to separate and analyze the chemical components of a mixture based on their different speeds of movement through a medium.

Etymology

From Greek 'chroma' (color) + 'graphein' (to write). Coined in the early 1900s by Mikhail Tswett, a Russian botanist who invented the technique to separate plant pigments.

Kelly Says

Modern chromatographs are so precise they can detect a single grain of salt dissolved in an Olympic swimming pool—they're the secret weapon chemists use to identify impurities and verify if medicines are pure.

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