in this science project you will use paper chromatography to see if black ink can be separated into components. The ink will be spotted onto strips of filter paper and put in a beaker containing a solution of alcohol and water. The paper is the stationary phase and the alcohol and water solution is the solvent (mobile phase). The solvent will move by capillary action. The attraction of the solvent to the paper (adhesion force) is larger than the attraction of the solvent to itself (cohesion force), hence the solvent moves up the paper. The ink will also be attracted to the paper, to itself, and to the solvent differently, and thus a different component will move a different distance depending upon the strength of attraction to each of these objects. As an analogy, let's pretend you are at a family reunion. You enjoy giving people hugs and talking with your relatives, but your cousin does not. As you make your way to the door to leave, you give a hug to every one of your relatives, and your cousin just says "bye." So, your cousin will make it to the door more quickly than you will. You are more attracted to your relatives, just as some chemical samples may be more attracted to the paper than the solvent, and thus will not move up the solid phase as quickly. Your cousin is more attracted to the idea of leaving, which is like the solvent (the mobile phase).