The mobile phase is described as:

The mobile phase is described as:

• A. The phase that interacts with compounds and causes separation.
• B. The phase that stays fixed in the apparatus.
• C. The phase that moves compounds through the stationary phase.
• D. The solid support that holds the sample.

Answer: (C)

In chromatography, the mobile phase is the solvent or gas that moves through the column, carrying the sample with it. It can be a liquid or a gas, depending on the technique, and it flows through the stationary phase, allowing analytes to partition between the two. Components that favor the mobile phase travel faster with it, while those that favor the stationary phase interact more and elute later, producing separation. The statement that describes the moving phase carrying compounds through the stationary phase is the correct one. The phase that stays fixed in the apparatus is the stationary phase, not the mobile, and the solid support that holds the sample is part of that stationary setup.

In chromatography, the mobile phase is the solvent or gas that moves through the column, carrying the sample with it. It can be a liquid or a gas, depending on the technique, and it flows through the stationary phase, allowing analytes to partition between the two. Components that favor the mobile phase travel faster with it, while those that favor the stationary phase interact more and elute later, producing separation. The statement that describes the moving phase carrying compounds through the stationary phase is the correct one. The phase that stays fixed in the apparatus is the stationary phase, not the mobile, and the solid support that holds the sample is part of that stationary setup.