# A fashion designer is developing a new range of clothing and wants to use natural dyes instead of synthetic dyes. Explain why synthetic dyes are generally preferred over natural dyes in the textile industry, and describe one way in which chromatography can be used to check the purity of a synthetic dye sample.

> OCR A-Level Chemistry B: Salters (H433) — CD Colour by design · Explain · 5 marks

> Natural dyes, such as those extracted from plants, have been used for thousands of years. However, the modern textile industry largely relies on synthetic dyes produced by chemists.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Synthetic dyes produce a wider range of colours than natural dyes
2. Synthetic dyes are more colour-fast / do not fade as quickly as natural dyes
3. Synthetic dyes can be produced in large quantities / are cheaper to produce at scale compared to natural dyes
4. Chromatography separates the components in the dye sample based on how far each component travels up the chromatography paper
5. A pure dye produces only one spot on the chromatogram, whereas an impure sample produces more than one spot

## Key terms

- [synthetic dyes](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/synthetic-dyes)
- [natural dyes](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/natural-dyes)
- [chromatography](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/chromatography)

## Related

- [Revision notes for OCR A-Level Chemistry B: Salters (H433)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-fashion-designer-is-developing-a-018a21e0) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.