Why is Thin Layer Chromotography a better technique to analyze the separated compolunds than melting points?

This is for an o-chem lab where we separated Benzoic acid and acetanilide from a solution, and then used TLC to test the purities. Does it have something to do with the melting points being a range? Or that they could be the same for different compounds?Why is Thin Layer Chromotography a better technique to analyze the separated compolunds than melting points?
Melt points are dependent on the purity of the materil, so an impure materil may give an incorrect melt point. Even if the melt point is correct, you have no way to tell if the substance is what you think or if you have another material with the same melt point.





Using TLC, you can examine the compound of interest, and see if its retention time is the same as the unknown. So TLC actually ';purifies'; the mixture for you, whereas with melt point, you arent certain if you have an impure material or not.Why is Thin Layer Chromotography a better technique to analyze the separated compolunds than melting points?
Thin layer chromatography allows you to see the components in a mixture of a substance based on the polarity of the individual components (and it absorption to the stationary phase).





The melting point will just tell you when entire substance has passed from solid to liquid form.





The TLC is a much more powerful tool in determining QUALITATIVE purity than melting point, BUT at high levels of purity %26gt; 99% purity melting point becomes a more important ANALYTICAL tool.





Differential scanning calorimetry can scan the melting point curve of a substance when in high purity and can determine the purity of the material as a numeric percentage - this is not possible with TLC.