Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a technique used to separate mixtures into their components. It involves a stationary phase, such as a silica gel-coated plate, and a mobile phase, which can be a solvent or solvent mixture. Samples are spotted onto the plate and the mobile phase is allowed to travel up the plate, separating the samples based on how strongly they interact with each phase. TLC provides a simple, low-cost method for analyzing mixtures and is useful in fields like pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, and food and cosmetic analysis.