MCQ Questions on Chromatography with Answer Pdf : 

Chromatography is a separation technique in which the complex mixture are separated into two phases: a stationary phase with a large surface area, and a mobile phase. The goal of the stationary phase is to delay the passage of the sample components. When components pass through the system at different speeds, they separate at certain times. Each component has a characteristic time to pass through the system, called the retention time. Chromatographic separation is achieved when the retention time of the analyte differs from the rest of the components of the sample. Chromatography is one of the main analytical methods and allows the separation and quantification of substances that are very similar in structure and its chemical properties.

Important terms in Chromatography  : 

1. Analyte : It is a product of a chromatographic process.
2. Analytical Chromatography : It is used to determine the presence and concentration of analyte in the sample.
3. Preparative Chromatography : It is used for the purification of substances for specific purposes (for analysis).
4. Chromatogram : It is a visual representation or results of the chromatographic process. Each substance corresponds to a certain peak on the chromatogram.
5. Chromatograph : Instrument for carrying out chromatography.
6. Holding time : Time during which the analyte passes through the chromatographic system under certain conditions.
7. Stationary phase : Substance that is attached to the column or to the panel, on whose surface the substances are separated.
8. Mobile phase : Phase that is moving in a certain direction. It can be a liquid or gas. The mobile phase moves through a column that carries the sample to be separated.

Multiple Choice Questions on Chromatography  : 

1. Chromatography is a physical method that is used to separate__________

(a) Simple mixtures

(b) Complex mixtures

(c) Viscous mixtures

(d) Metals

Answer: B

2. Which force is involved in the Chromatography ?

(a) Hydrogen bonding

(b) London force

(c) Electric static force

(d) All of the above

Answer: D

3. Ion exchange chromatography is based on the_____________

(a) Electrostatic attraction

(b) Electrical mobility of ionic species

(c) Adsorption chromatography

(d) Partition chromatography

Answer: A

4. Chromatography with solid stationary phase is called_________

(a) circle chromatography

(b) Square chromatography

(c) solid chromatography

(d) adsorption chromatography

Answer: D

5. A combination of paper chromatography and electrophoresis involves______________

(a) Partition chromatography

(b) Electrical mobility of the ionic species

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) None of these

Answer: C

6. The pattern on the paper in chromatography is called

(a) chroming

(b) Chroma

(c) Chromatograph

(d) Chromatogram

Answer: D

7. In reverse phase chromatography, the stationary phase is made______________

(a) Non-polar

(b) Polar

(c) Both a and b

(d) None of these

Answer:  A

8. The components which have a small value of K have an affinity for______________

(a) mobile phase

(b) stationary phase

(c) no phase

(d) solution

Answer : B

9. Which technique is also known as colour writing ?

(a) NMR

(b) Mass spectroscopy

(c) Chromatography

(d) All of the above

Answer: C

10. Which of the following HPLC detectors is used as a bulk property or general  purpose detector?  

(a) Electrochemical detector  

(b) Fluorescence detector  

(c) UV-Visible detector  

(d) Evaporative Light scattering detector

Answer : D

11. Thin layer chromatography is__________

(a) Partition chromatography

(b) Electrical mobility of ionic species

(c) Adsorption chromatography

(d) None of the above

Answer: C

12. In which chromatography stationary phase is more polar than mobile phase?

(a) Ion exchange chromatography 

(b) Normal phase chromatography 

(c) Reversed chromatography 

(d) Size exclusion chromatography 

Answer: B

13. Which of the following is used as a spraying reagent in paper chromatography? 

(a) conc. HCl 

(b) NaCl solution 

(c) Ninhydrin solution 

(d) CuSO4 solution 

Answer: C

14. In gas chromatography, the basis for separation of the components of the volatile material is the difference in________

(a) Partition coefficients

(b) Conductivity

(c) Molecular weight

(d) Molarity

Answer: A

15. In which type of chromatography, the stationary phase is held in a narrow tube and the mobile phase is forced through it under pressure? 

(a) Column chromatography 

(b) Planar chromatography 

(c) Liquid chromatography 

(d) Gas chromatography

Answer: A

16. In chromatography, the stationary phase can be ___________ supported on a solid.

(a) Solid or liquid

(b) Liquid or gas

(c) Solid only

(d) Liquid only

Answer: A

17. What is Eluent ?

(a) is a liquid solution

(b) is a liquid solution that is a result from Elution.

(c) It is a solvent that used for  separation of absorbed material from stationary phase.

(d) None of the above

Answer: C

18. In chromatography, which of the following can the mobile phase be made of?

(a) Solid or liquid

(b) Liquid or gas

(c) Gas only

(d) Liquid only

Answer: B

19. Chromatogram is__________

(a) Solute concentration vs Elution time

(b) Solute concentration vs Elution volume

(c) A and B

(d) None of the above

Answer: C

20. In thin layer chromatography, the stationary phase is made of _________ and the mobile phase is made of _________ 

(a) Solid, liquid 

(b) Liquid, liquid 

(c) Liquid, gas 

(d) Solid, gas

Answer: A

21. What is the Analyte ?

(a) Substance for separation

(b) Substance for impurity

(c) A and B

(d) None of the above

Answer: A

22. Which of the following is used as a carrier gas in gas chromatography__________

(a) Carbon dioxide 

(b) Oxygen 

(c) Helium 

(d) Methane 

Answer: C

23. In size exclusion chromatography, solute molecules are separated based on _________ 

(a) Molecular geometry and size 

(b) Molecular composition 

(c) Molecular phase 

(d) Molecular formula 

Answer: A

24. Ion exchange chromatography is based on? 

(a) Electrostatic attraction 

(b) Electrical mobility of ionic species 

(c) Partition chromatography 

(d) Adsorption chromatography

Answer : B

25. In Thin layer chromatography, the stationary phase is made of _________ and the mobile phase is made of _________

(a) Solid, liquid

(b) Liquid, liquid

(c) Liquid, gas

(d) Solid, gas

Answer: A

26. The basis of the technique of chromatography for separating components of a mixture is? 

(a) the differing movement of particles of different mass in an electrical field 

(b) the interaction of the components with a stationary and a mobile phases 

(c) the absorption of infrared radiation by the components. 

(d) the deflection of charged particles in a magnetic field. 

Answer: B

27. HPLC is an abbreviation for? 

(a) High Profit Liquid Chromatography 

(b) High Pressure Liquid Chromatography 

(c) Higher Performance Low Chromatography 

(d) Higher Profit Low Chromatography 

Answer: B

28. Which of the following techniques would be most useful to identify as well as quantify the presence of a known impurity in a drug substance? 

(a) NMR 

(b) MS 

(c) IR 

(d) HPLC  

Answer: D

29. Liquid chromatography can be performed in which of the following ways?

(a) Only in columns

(b) Only on plane surfaces

(c) Either in columns or on plane surfaces

(d) Neither in columns nor on plane surfaces

Answer: C

30. The process of passing a mobile phase through a chromatography column is called which one of the following?

(a) Flushing

(b) Washing

(c) Elution

(d) Partitioning

Answer: C

31. Which of the following techniques is used to study the three-dimensional structure of a molecule?

(a) Infra-red spectroscopy

(b) Mass spectrometry

(c) UV-visible spectroscopy

(d) X-ray crystallography

Answer: D