Which laboratory equipment or method is capable of identifying the components in compounds?

• A. Spectrograph
• B. Chromatograph
• C. Centrifuge
• D. Microscope

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that identifying what’s in a mixture relies on separating its components first. Chromatography does exactly that: it moves a mixture through a stationary phase with a mobile phase so that different components travel at different rates. This separation yields distinct peaks or spots, each representing a component. By comparing the retention times or the detector responses of those peaks to known standards, you can identify each component present in the sample. In practice, chromatography is often paired with a detector or a mass spectrometer to confirm identities, but even alone it provides the means to distinguish and identify the constituents.

Spectrographs identify substances by their spectral fingerprints, which is powerful but typically works after separation or on pure substances. Centrifuges separate by density without identification, and microscopes reveal morphology rather than composition.