In the analytical literature there is considerable debate about whether the retention of organic compounds by various types of bonded (sorbent bonded to a silica core) chromatographic phases is best described by: 1) A partitioning process where solutes or vapors fully diffuse into and mix with a sorbent phase and individual solute exchange constants are independent of sample component concentrations and the amount of any individual analyte absorbed is not affected by other sample components, i.e., a non-competitive process. 2) An adsorption process where solutes or vapors are retained on solid surfaces inside the adsorbent pore structure and the amount of an individual adsorbate (a solute retained by an adsorbent) accumulated can be affected by other sample components. 3) Some of both processes.