Doc. 065215-02 9/09
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F • Glossary
Analytical Column
Synonymous with
Separator Column
.
Band Spreading
The broadening of the sample band as it travels through the column. Band
spreading can also occur in the injection valve, detector cell, and interconnecting
tubing.
Calibration Curve
A graph showing detector response in peak height or area versus analyte
concentration.
Capacity Factor (k´)
The number of column volumes of eluent, pumped through the column, required
to elute an analyte. Capacity factor is a dimensionless measure of retention which
is independent of column length or eluent flow rate. It is calculated as follows:
Where: t
r
= retention time
t
o
= retention time of unretained solute (column void volume)
Cell Constant (k)
A factor determined experimentally by measuring the conductance (G) of a
standard solution of known equivalent conductivity (k).
k
′
t
r
t
o
–
t
o
--------------
=
k
κ
G
⁄
=
