The chromatogram and its purport

The peaks give qualitative and quantitative information on the mixture in question  

If the MS is used as a detector, the peaks may show a misshapen shape due to the low data rate. The quantification will be impended. 

Retention time is a function of mobile phase flow velocity and column length. If the mobile phase is flowing slowly or if the column is long, then to is large and hence so is Zr Zr is therefore not suitable for characterizing a compound. 

Retention volume VR = f tR (f = volume flow rate in mlmin ). Void volume Vo = fto. 

Therefore the relent ion factor or k value (formerly known as the capacity factor, Jf) is preferred  

The eluted compounds are transported by the mobile phase to the detector and recorded as Gaussian (bell-shaped) curves. The signals are known as peaks (Fig. 2.8) and the whole entity is the chromatogram. 

The chromatogram can be used to provide information on separation efficiency (Fig. 2.9). Here w is the peak width at the baseline, to is the dead time or retention time of an unretained solute, i.e. the time required by the mobile phase to pass through the column (also called the breakthrough time). Hence the linear flow velocity, w, can be calculated as 

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