Individuals Are Often Advised to Put Out Flames If They

Short Answer

Individuals are often advised to put out flames if they "smell gas."In reality, people smell dimethyl sulfide ((CH₃)₂S)that is added to natural gas to give it a detectable odor; natural gas by itself is odorless. What chemical characteristic of methyl sulfide makes it better to use as a gas indicator compared with the more pleasant-smelling isoamyl acetate (C₇H₁₄O₂), also known as oil of banana?