In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), what do the retention time and the peak area of a compound indicate?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Retention time helps identify the compound; peak area relates to its concentration in the sample

  1. Step 1: Under the same conditions each compound takes a characteristic time to pass through the column.
  2. Step 2: The detector response, shown as the area under the peak, grows with the amount of the compound.
  3. Step 3: A calibration with standards links area to concentration.
Answer
retention time identifies; peak area indicates concentration.
Why not the others: The first alternative reverses the two; peak area does give quantity; neither measure gives carbon number or boiling point directly.

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