Gas chromatography (GC) is a method used to help identify a mixture of
compounds by separating compounds according to each compound’s retention time.
Compounds with a lower molecular weight will elute out earlier than compounds with
higher molecular weights due to differences in boiling points. Smaller structures have
lower boiling points and will thus elute faster than those with higher boiling points. It
then follows that the compounds with the lower boiling points will have shorter retention
times (Petrie). Another advantage of GC is that it can be used to determine the purity of
compounds. By looking for additional peaks in a sample that are not present in the pure
compound, one can gain knowledge about purity. Peak areas of additional peaks can
provide an indication of the degree of contamination