how could you use chromatography to prove which red car was involved in the accident?

Answer 1

Make a chromatogram of the paint found on the other car involved in the accident.

Then do a side-by-side chromatogram of the red paint from the two suspect cars. Unless they have identical paints, the chromatograms will be different in some way, and you'll be able to match the suspect auto to the target paint.

Answer 2

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using depth profiling can be used to differentiate between two red cars by measuring the trace elemental composition of the layers of paint on two cars. Paint from different manufacturers will contain different components in trace levels and by measuring the components of each layer of paint the fingerprint is much more varied and precise for matching. It becomes very difficult if the two cars are the same make, model, year and color because the spectra would be very similar and variations in lot might not be enough.
Once you had the spectrum of the violating car it would then be a matter of matching it to the vehicle. There are a number of growing databases that can give you the make and model for a specific signature, making catching the violator that much easier.

Answer 3

You can split the paint into its main compound by doing a chromatography, you then do the same with other car paints because they all have a different compound mix. Once you have all the result you can match them together. Do this by looking at the place on the chromatographic paper and their Rf values if all of the split compounds have the same Rf value you have a match.

Answer 4

Hello,

I tried to go over your question on my blog, but in short my answer would be to use Gas Chromatography with Mass Spec. detector - GC/MS.

http://www.justchromatography.com/yahoo-answers/chromatography-to-prove-which-car-was-involved