Stationary Phase: The stationary phase refers to the solid or liquid material that does not move during liquid chromatography. It interacts with solutes and separates them based on their affinities for it.
Mobile Phase: The mobile phase refers to the liquid (solvent) that carries solutes through the stationary phase. Different solvents can be chosen depending on their compatibility with both the solutes and stationary phase.
Separation: In liquid chromatography, separation refers to the process of isolating individual components from a mixture by exploiting their different interactions with the stationary and mobile phases.