Chromatography: TLC, Column and Gas — Interactive Lesson (Ages 16–18)

From checking a drug's purity to catching cheats in sport, chromatography separates and identifies mixtures. This 23-slide interactive lesson on thin-layer chromatography takes pupils from first ideas to exam-style explanations, with 14 self-marking activities and nothing to prepare beforehand.

Teaching Chromatography: TLC, Column and Gas in A-level Chemistry

Students explain separation in terms of stationary and mobile phases, carry out thin-layer chromatography and calculate Rf values, and describe column chromatography for purifying products. They interpret gas chromatograms using retention times and peak areas, and explain how GC–MS identifies each component of a mixture.

What Pupils Will Learn

• Explain how chromatography separates substances using stationary and mobile phases.
• Carry out thin-layer chromatography and calculate Rf values.
• Describe column chromatography for separating larger amounts.
• ⏱ Describe gas chromatography and interpret retention times and peak areas.
• Explain how GC–MS identifies the components of a mixture.

What’s Included

• 23-slide interactive lesson
• 14 self-marking activities: multiple-choice questions, true-or-false checks, sorting tasks, drag-and-drop categorising and fill-in-the-gap questions
• Step-by-step teaching cards that reveal one point at a time
• A written explanation task with a model answer for self-assessment

Why Teachers Love It

• No prep — open it on an interactive whiteboard, laptop or tablet
• Instant feedback explains every answer, right or wrong
• Everyday examples make chemistry feel real
• Works for whole-class teaching, independent study or revision

Curriculum Alignment

Supports the organic chemistry content of UK A-level Chemistry (AQA section 3.3, with equivalent OCR and Edexcel content) and prepares Nigerian students for post-SSCE study, JAMB and first-year university chemistry.

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FAQ

What year groups is this for? Year 13 (ages 16–18), and post-SSCE students in Nigeria.

Is it self-marking? Yes — all 14 activities give instant feedback.

Do pupils need to log in? No. The lesson runs in any modern web browser.

Can I use it for revision? Yes. Pupils can replay it as often as they like, and the results screen shows which questions to review before a test.