What process involves separating components of a chemical mixture?

The correct answer is chromatography. This process is specifically designed to separate the components of a mixture based on their different interactions with a stationary phase and a mobile phase. In chromatography, substances in the mixture will travel at different rates through the medium, which allows for the separation and identification of each component.

Chromatography is widely used in various fields, such as biochemistry and forensic science, to analyze complex chemical mixtures, purify substances, or isolate compounds for further study. The principles of chromatography utilize various methods, including paper chromatography, gas chromatography, and liquid chromatography, each tailored to the nature of the components being separated.

Distillation also separates components of a mixture, but it relies on differences in boiling points rather than interactions with a medium. Filtration separates solids from liquids based on particle size, while electrophoresis separates charged molecules, such as DNA or proteins, based on their size and charge in an electric field. Each of these methods serves specific purposes and is applicable to different types of mixtures, but chromatography is particularly versatile for a wide range of chemical mixtures.