At Templer Park International School Rawang (TPIS), our IGCSE students recently turned their science lab into a burst of colour while exploring the fascinating technique of chromatography. What started as simple ink dots and humble carrots quickly transformed into a hands-on investigation of how chemistry works behind the scenes!

The experiment kicked off with students carefully preparing chromatography paper, drawing a neat pencil baseline (no ink allowed—science rules!). Small sample spots were placed along the line before the paper was lowered into a solvent. For the ink investigation, water was used as the solvent, while the carrot experiment took an extra step—beta-carotene was first extracted from carrots using alcohol, then separated using alcohol as the solvent.

And then came the magic ✨
As the solvent travelled up the paper, it carried dissolved substances along with it, creating beautiful and visible pigment bands. The ink samples surprised everyone by separating into multiple dye components, revealing that a single colour is often a mix of many pigments. Meanwhile, the carrot extract produced striking orange and yellow bands, highlighting the presence of beta-carotene—the pigment responsible for carrots’ bright colour.

Students also observed that different substances moved different distances, depending on their properties such as solubility and attraction to the paper. This helped them understand key IGCSE concepts like intermolecular forces and separation techniques—all through a colourful, real-world experiment.

This activity wasn’t just about results; it was about curiosity, careful observation, and learning by doing. At TPIS, we love making IGCSE science engaging, practical, and memorable—because when learning is fun, it really sticks!

Science never looked so colourful 🎨🔬