Two of them, I am sure, you've met before, phenol,
which is common carbolic acid, and naphthalene, which we use for
mothballs. But notice one thing in passing, that not one of them is a
dye. They are all colorless liquids or white solids. Also they all have
an indescribable odor--all odors that you don't know are
indescribable--which gives them and their progeny, even when odorless,
the name of "aromatic compounds."
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Diagram of the products obtained from coal and
some of their uses.]
The most important of the ten because he is the father of the family is
benzene, otherwise called benzol, but must not be confused with
"benzine" spelled with an _i_ which we used to burn and clean our
clothes with. "Benzine" is a kind of gasoline, but benzene _alias_
benzol has quite another constitution, although it looks and burns the
same. Now the search for the constitution of benzene is one of the most
exciting chapters in chemistry; also one of the most intricate chapters,
but, in spite of that, I believe I can make the main point of it clear
even to those who have never studied chemistry--provided they retain
their childish liking for puzzles.
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