IUPAC Definition: chromatography is a physical method of separation in which the components to be separated are distributed between two phases, one of which is stationary while the other moves in a definite direction Stationary phase (SP): common name for the column packing material in any type of chromatography Mobile phase (MP): liquid media that continuously flows through the column and carries the analytes Analyte: the chemical species being investigated (detected and quantitatively measured) by an analytical method.
