Description

Engage teens with real chromatography

This Ion Exchange Chromatography Lab gives high school learners a first “real lab” experience beyond marker‑on‑paper chromatography. Students equilibrate a column, load a sample, wash, then elute with higher salt to watch different components come off at different times. Along the way, they see how invisible electrical charges control which molecules bind, which pass through, and how scientists use that behavior to separate and purify important substances.

Perfect for chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, or advanced homeschool science, this activity connects directly to real‑world applications like water treatment and biopharmaceutical production.

What educators get

• Clear, step‑by‑step student procedure, from setup to clean‑up

• Guidance for making and interpreting an elution chart using fraction data

• NGSS‑aligned learning targets focused on structure–property relationships, electrostatic forces, and separation techniques

• Vocabulary list (ion, resin, mobile phase, gradient, elution profile, and more) written at a high school level

• Discussion prompts, exit tickets, and assessment ideas for easy lesson‑plan integration

• Suggestions for at‑home and extra‑credit extensions, including gradient design, pH investigations, and real‑world case studies

Everything is written to be “copy‑and‑paste ready” into lesson plan templates, learning management systems, or homeschool binders.

Skills and concepts students practice

• Understanding electrostatic attraction and competition between charged particles

• Explaining how buffer conditions (salt and pH) change molecular behavior

• Performing a multi‑step lab protocol with good technique and record‑keeping

• Organizing fraction data into tables and drawing an elution profile

• Interpreting graphs, identifying peaks, and relating patterns to molecular properties

These are exactly the kinds of lab and data‑literacy skills students will need in college chemistry and biology courses.

Ideal for classroom and homeschool use

This resource is flexible enough for full‑time classrooms, co‑ops, and independent homeschool families:

• Works as a stand‑alone lab or as a follow‑up to simple paper chromatography

• Fits comfortably into a one‑ to two‑day block (lab plus analysis/discussion)

• Scales for small groups or larger classes with minimal extra prep

• Includes teacher talking points that tie the activity to careers in biotech, environmental science, and engineering

If you want a lab that feels authentic, hits key chemistry and NGSS goals, and still remains accessible for non‑specialist educators, this Ion Exchange Chromatography Lab is designed for you.