A chemist has two pure samples of an organic compound, one of which she obtained from a natural source, and one of which she synthesized in the lab. Which of the following properties can she use to determine which is the synthetic sample?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both natural and synthetic samples of the same compound will have identical physical and chemical properties, such as boiling point, formula weight, and solubility, because they are the same substance. Therefore, none of these properties can be used to distinguish between the two samples.

A Chemist Has Two Pure Samples of an Organic Compound