What is chromatography primarily used for?

Chromatography is primarily used to separate and analyze components of a mixture due to its ability to exploit differences in the physical or chemical properties of the substances involved. The process involves passing a mixture through a medium where different compounds move at different rates, allowing them to be isolated from one another. This separation is crucial in various fields such as chemistry, biology, and environmental science, where it can be used to identify chemical substances, measure concentrations, and purify compounds for further study.

In contrast, storing chemical compounds is not the function of chromatography; it is about the action of separation and analysis. Accelerating chemical reactions and measuring temperature changes involve entirely different processes and techniques, such as chemical kinetics and thermometry, respectively. Hence, while those options may relate to chemical processes, they do not align with the primary purpose of chromatography, which focuses on separation and analytical assessment.