will benzyl alcohol or benzoic acid move farther on a TLC plate?
It is generally expected that benzoic acid would move farther on a TLC (thin-layer chromatography) plate compared to benzyl alcohol. This is because benzoic acid is more polar than benzyl alcohol.
In TLC, the separation of compounds occurs based on their polarity. Polar compounds tend to adhere more to the stationary phase (e.g., silica gel), resulting in a slower movement across the plate. On the other hand, less polar compounds move more easily through the stationary phase and travel farther up the TLC plate.
Benzoic acid has a carboxylic acid functional group (-COOH), which enhances its polarity due to hydrogen bonding and stronger intermolecular forces. In contrast, benzyl alcohol has a less polar alcohol functional group (-OH). Therefore, benzoic acid is expected to have a stronger interaction with the stationary phase and exhibit a slower migration compared to benzyl alcohol.