quick orgo Q

[swamprat]

What does Rf(R sub f) mean? Its from a practice test :

"Does the product have a higher or lower Rf than the starting material?"

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[Ibn Rushd]

I'm almost positive that it refers to the distance the solvent travels in TLC (thin layer chromatography).

EDIT: A quick wiki read-through somewhat confirms what I said earlier. Rf, or retention factor, is the ratio of the distance the substance travels to the distance the solvent travels. If you remember doing TLC in ochem lab, it's a pretty easy concept to grasp. Say you dab the plate with some random solution and then you let the solvent migrate up the plate, these two components will each travel a unique distance from the "start" line you drew on the plate. The ratio of their distances is Rf.

 

[swamprat]

I'm almost positive that it refers to the distance the solvent travels in TLC (thin layer chromatography).

EDIT: A quick wiki read-through somewhat confirms what I said earlier. Rf, or retention factor, is the ratio of the distance the substance travels to the distance the solvent travels. If you remember doing TLC in ochem lab, it's a pretty easy concept to grasp. Say you dab the plate with some random solution and then you let the solvent migrate up the plate, these two components will each travel a unique distance from the "start" line you drew on the plate. The ratio of their distances is Rf.

Thanks