Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Goh Zhi Hwee (09)- Benzene


Benzene (C6H6)
An organic chemical compound, Benzene is a colourless and flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It is used as an industrial solvent in the production of products such as drugs, plastics and synthetic rubber, but after it was discovered to be a known carcinogen, its use in the manufacturing of these products has been limited. It has a molacular mass of 78.11g mol and a continuous pi bond.
Today, benzene is used mainly as an intermediate to make other chemicals. If exposed to benzene, it can lead to serious health problems like leukemia. It damages the bone marrow and can also decrease the number of red blood cells. When ingested, benzene causes vomiting, dizziness, convulsions and eventually death.
In laboratory research, toluene is now used as a substitute for benzene as it is less toxic and has a wider liquid range.
About the elements, carbon is an element which has an atomic number of 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent. It can exist in three different forms, such as diamond, graphite and soot. Hydrogen is a chemical element with an atomic number of 1. It has an atomic weight of 1.00794 units.
Atomic structure of Benzene.

No comments:

Post a Comment