Rose Petals and Factory Vials

In the picture

1. 1Rose petals in a dish: the plant material a natural perfume is distilled from
2. 2Small vial of amber oil: the tiny amount of essence a whole harvest yields
3. 3Five identical glass vials: factory-made scent, the same in every bottle
4. 4Molecular model: a scent molecule that can be built in a laboratory
5. 5Row of coins: the price of each option

Examples

• Vanilla flavouring in ice cream is usually a synthetic molecule rather than vanilla pods.
• Rose oil for perfume can cost more per gram than gold, while a lab-made version sells for a fraction of that.

Quiz: Rose Petals and Factory Vials (Age 16)

1. 1

   Why do scarce natural perfume ingredients stay expensive?

   • Because harvests and available land limit how much can be produced
   • Because chemists must build them molecule by molecule
   • Because they are always more stable than synthetic scents
2. 2

   What is one advantage of synthetic scent molecules?

   • They depend on a good harvest each year
   • They are available only in tiny amounts
   • They can be made cheaply in unlimited identical batches
3. 3

   What does the card say about the amount of essence a whole harvest of natural plant material yields?

   • Nothing until chemists build the scent in a laboratory
   • Only a tiny amount of essence
   • Enough to fill many identical factory vials

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.