With a toothpick, we transferred the color the candy to the chromatography paper, once again, making a drop about three millimeters in diameter. After transferring different colors or dyes onto different strips of chromatography paper, we placed each strip of paper into its own test tube filled a centimeter deep with water. The reason the paper was folded in half was so that the paper did not press against the side of the wet tube. Before placing the paper in the tube, we filled the tube with water. While filling the tube with water, some water might have been left on the inside of the tube.
Water attracts the paper to stick to the inside of the tube.
However, by folding the paper, it prevents the paper sticking to the side of the tube. As each strip of paper was placed into its tube, the water, quickly soaked up the paper. As the water passed the drop of color or dye, the water took the color along with it. Within minutes the water, along with the dye traveled up the strip of paper. When the water reached the ten centimeter point, we took the strip of paper out of the test tube to dry.