Physical properties of benzene

Benzene is a colourless liquid at room temperature, boiling at 353 K and melting at 278.5 K. It is essentially insoluble in water and, being less dense than water, forms a separate upper layer when the two are mixed together. It is, however, freely soluble in common organic solvents such as alcohol, ether and chloroform. Benzene vapour is highly toxic: inhaling it can lead to unconsciousness, and (as covered further in …