A chemist separates a mixture of two amino acids by spotting the extract on a special strip of paper and suspending it in a suitable solvent. As the solvent rises up the paper, the amino acids are separated based on their differential distribution. According to NCERT principles, which of the following correctly identifies the stationary phase and the broad category of this chromatographic technique?

Step-by-step solution

The scenario describes paper chromatography, which is routinely used to separate mixtures like amino acids. According to NCERT, paper chromatography is a specific type of partition chromatography, not adsorption chromatography. The separation occurs due to the continuous differential partitioning of components between a stationary phase and a mobile phase. A common misconception is that the solid paper (cellulose) itself acts as the stationary phase. However, the chromatography paper contains water trapped within i