[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-572896-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":74,"doc-detail-572896-en":120},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":67,"head_meta":69,"extra_data":71,"updated_unix":73},105,"en","mcatalyst-lab-techniques-cheat-sheet","MCATalyst Lab Techniques Cheat Sheet","","MCATalyst provides a concise cheat sheet of key MCAT-relevant lab techniques for chemical separation and structure analysis. It summarizes chromatography methods by mobile and stationary phase polarity, expected elution order, and practical notes such as resolution and uses. It also covers distillation principles using boiling-point differences, including how intermolecular forces and molecular size raise boiling points. Finally, it outlines extraction strategies based on solubility and solvent phase behavior, plus H-NMR interpretation via chemical shift ranges and signal splitting rules.",{"@graph":14,"@context":66},[15,34,49],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/","Presentations",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/mcatalyst-lab-techniques-cheat-sheet/572896/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"author":36,"headline":10,"publisher":39,"fileFormat":42,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":43,"datePublished":43,"encodingFormat":42,"isAccessibleForFree":44,"interactionStatistic":45},"DigitalDocument",{"name":37,"@type":38},"Jordan Avery","Person",{"url":19,"name":40,"@type":41},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-13",true,{"@type":46,"interactionType":47,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":48},"ViewAction",{"@type":50,"mainEntity":51},"FAQPage",[52,58,62],{"name":53,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":55},"How do chromatography methods determine elution order?","Question",{"text":56,"@type":57},"Most chromatography methods predict elution order by comparing the polarity of the mobile phase and stationary phase. The polarity difference dictates whether compounds elute from most nonpolar to most polar or the reverse, depending on the method.","Answer",{"name":59,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":60},"What is the main purpose of distillation in separating molecules?",{"text":61,"@type":57},"Distillation separates molecules based on boiling point differences. Simple, fractional, and vacuum distillation are chosen depending on whether boiling points are very different, similar, or high enough to risk decomposition.",{"name":63,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":64},"How does H-NMR help determine molecular structure?",{"text":65,"@type":57},"H-NMR identifies structure using chemical shift (PPM) values and splitting patterns. Chemical shift ranges help categorize hydrogen environments, while splitting reflects the number of neighboring hydrogens (with singlet/doublet/triplet patterns).","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":68,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":40,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":70,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":72,"site_id":7},572896,1791929927,{"code":4,"msg":75,"data":76},"success",[77,81,86,91,96,101,106,111,116],{"id":78,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":79,"slug":80},11,90,"presentations",{"id":82,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":83,"show_sort_weight":84,"slug":85},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":87,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":92,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":97,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},16,"Social 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molecules based on chemical characteristics  \n\n| Name | Setup | Results | Other Important Info |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Gas Chromatography | Nonpolar Mobile Phase Polar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: most nonpolar to most polar | Used to separate gases of different polarities |\n| Liquid Chromatography | Nonpolar Mobile Phase Polar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: most nonpolar to most polar | Used to separate liquids of different polarities |\n| Normal-Phase HighPerformance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) | Nonpolar Mobile Phase Polar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: most nonpolar to most polar | Liquid Chromatography w/ a higher resolution:\u003Cbr>• “Finer” stationary phase (more surface area for interactions)\u003Cbr>• Higher pressure |\n| Reverse-Phase HPLC | Polar Mobile Phase Nonpolar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: most polar to most nonpolar | Only polarity chromatography to have Polar Mobile and Nonpolar Stationary Phase, so results flip |\n| Thin-Layer Chromatography | Nonpolar Mobile Phase Polar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: Most nonpolar travel furthest (highest Rf), most polar travel least (lowest Rf) | Nonpolar liquids travel up TLC paper with mobile phase, polar liquids stay near the bottom\u003Cbr>Rf = MCoompbileoPuhndasTeravelTraveDil~~ ~~Dsitsancetance |\n| Flash Chromatography | Nonpolar Mobile Phase Polar Stationary Phase | Order of elution: Most nonpolar travel furthest (highest Rf), most polar travel least (lowest Rf) | TLC just in bulk. |\n| Size-Exclusion (Gel\u003Cbr>Filtration) Chromatography | Liquid compounds are poured over gel beads | Order of elution: largest to smallest molecules | Molecules are poured over gel beads, which only allow smaller molecules through and cause them to travel along longer paths than large molecules that can travel around the beads (in shorter paths). |\n| Cation-Exchange Chromatography | Charged compounds poured over negatively charged beads | Most negatively charged molecules elute first, positive elute last | Can also be used to separate cations (not anions) of different strengths |\n| Anion-Exchange Chromatography | Charged compounds poured over positively charged beads | Most positively charged molecules elute first, negative elute last | Can also be used to separate cations (not anions) of different strengths |\n| Affinity Chromatography | Protein solution is poured over beads with specific ligands attached | Proteins that can interact with the ligands will stick to the beads, proteins that don’t will be poured off/removed | To liberate the protein from the bead, freeligand (not attached to a bead) is added to displace the protein from the bead-bound ligand. |\n\nDistillations-for separation of molecules based on boiling point (BP)  \nWays to increase BP (in decreasing priority order):  \nHaving stronger intermolecular interactions (Ionic > Hydrogen Bond > Dipole-Dipole (Polar) > van der Waals) Having a larger surface area (larger molecules with less branching and more saturation have higher BP)  \nHaving a higher mass (when comparing two very similar molecules)  \n\n| Name | Results | Other Important Info |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Simple Distillation | Molecules with the lowest BP elute first, highest BP elute last | Used for molecules w/ very different (>25OC) BPs |\n| Fractional Distillation | Molecules with the lowest BP elute first, highest BP elute last | Used for molecules w/ similar (\u003C25OC) BPs |\n| Vacuum Distillation | Molecules with the lowest BP elute first, highest BP elute last | Used for molecules w/ very high BPs that risk decomposition (hundreds of OC), vacuum decreases ambient pressure making BP lower and more safe |\n\nExtractions-for separation of molecules based on solubility differences  \n\n| Name | Setup | Results | Other Important Info |\n| ---","cbCaiee3xbJZrADi","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiee3xbJZrADi","pdf",306196,10,"English","# Chemical Separation Techniques\n## Chromatography\n## Distillations\n## Extractions\n# Chemical Structure Techniques\n## H-NMR","[{\"question\":\"How do chromatography methods determine elution order?\",\"answer\":\"Most chromatography methods predict elution order by comparing the polarity of the mobile phase and stationary phase. The polarity difference dictates whether compounds elute from most nonpolar to most polar or the reverse, depending on the method.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of distillation in separating molecules?\",\"answer\":\"Distillation separates molecules based on boiling point differences. Simple, fractional, and vacuum distillation are chosen depending on whether boiling points are very different, similar, or high enough to risk decomposition.\"},{\"question\":\"How does H-NMR help determine molecular structure?\",\"answer\":\"H-NMR identifies structure using chemical shift (PPM) values and splitting patterns. Chemical shift ranges help categorize hydrogen environments, while splitting reflects the number of neighboring hydrogens (with singlet/doublet/triplet patterns).\"}]","MCATalyst Lab Techniques Cheat Sheet | PDF"]