Overview

Benzene (BEN-zeen) is a clear, colorless liquid with an aromatic (fragrant) odor. It occurs in coal and petroleum, from which it is extracted for commercial use. Benzene is very flammable, burning with a smoking flame. The compound was discovered in 1825 by the English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791–1867), who gave the compound the name of bicarburet of hydrogen. It was given its modern name of benzene (benzin, at the time) by the German chemist Eilhardt Mitscherlich (1794–1863).

Key Facts

Other Names:

Benzol; cyclohexatriene

Formula:

C₆H₆

Elements:

Carbon, hydrogen

Compound Type:

Aromatic hydrocarbon (organic)

State:

Liquid

Molecular Weight:

78.11 g/mol

Melting Point:

5.49°C (41.9°F)

Boiling Point:

80.09°C (176.2°F)

Solubility:

Slightly soluble in water; soluble in alcohol, ether, and acetone

The chemical structure of benzene remained one of the great mysteries in chemistry for nearly half a century. The compound's formula, C₆H₆, suggests that it contains three double...