Which diffuses faster perfume in air, or alcohol in water?

At room temperature and 1 atmosphere of pressure air is much less dense than water. So, even if the molecules in air/perfume are moving at the same rate as those in the water/alcohol mixture, the perfume molecules will go farther before they collide with an air molecule. Thus, perfume in air will diffuse much faster than alcohol in water.

BTW, I must correct blackdragon’s comment that alcohol does not mix with water. Most common short chain alcohols, such as methanol (wood alcohol), ethanol, and isopropanol mix well with water. Ethanol is the alcohol in beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.

air Perfume

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