Volatility is a thing, ability to dissolve some substance is another. If you refer to the second, it's a property that all fluid chemicals have, just think about water and a very water soluble substance (there are many). Styrofoam is almost made of air, so it's for this reason it dissolves quickly; if you could make such a porous material with table salt, you would see it dissolved by water with similar speeds (and gasoline would do nothing to it).MrModesty said:I have always been amazed at how well gasoline and highly purified alcohols are at cleaning things. It almost seems as if they are microscopic organisms that eat the filth away. I even remember as a kid, putting gasoline in a styrofoam cup, only to see it dissolve away. What is this mechanism?
Volatility refers to the tendency of a substance to vaporize or evaporate at a given temperature. The higher the volatility, the easier it is for the substance to turn into a gas or vapor.
Gasoline and alcohol are considered volatile because they have low boiling points, which means they can easily vaporize at room temperature. This is due to the chemical composition of these substances, which have a high proportion of light hydrocarbon molecules that are easily converted into gas form.
Volatility is measured using a parameter called vapor pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the vapor of a substance at a given temperature. The higher the vapor pressure, the more volatile the substance is.
The volatility of a substance depends on various factors such as its molecular weight, boiling point, and intermolecular forces. Generally, substances with lower molecular weight and weaker intermolecular forces tend to be more volatile.
Volatile substances can pose significant hazards due to their flammability and potential for explosion. They can also have harmful effects on human health and the environment if not handled properly. It is important to follow safety precautions when handling and storing volatile substances.