The only thing you need to know about how chromatography works to follow this video is that they separate all compounds based on how they interact with the stationary phase inside their column. This causes different subcomponents of the sample to come out of the column at different times and each time something comes out of the column it is measured.

The result of a chromatography is displayed in a chromatogram. The chromatogram gives you a wealth of information, both in terms of the state of health of the gas chromatography device and data that can be used for qualitative or even quantitative analyses.

The retention time is displayed on the x-axis and is the time taken for the sample, from the moment it was injected, to pass through the column and exit. The y-axis represents the measured response of the analyte peak in the detector. The baseline shows the detector signal when no analyte is eluted from the column. This baseline should be low and straight. A higher and/or irregular baseline than normal indicates a problem or that device maintenance is required. By comparing the different peaks of our sample in terms of retention and shape to those of known compounds we can identify the different compounds present in our sample. Additionally, the concentration of a compound can be determined by taking the peak area and comparing it to an example calibration curve of the same compound at different concentrations.

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