explain why residents reported the smell of natural gas?

[megan_ashlei]

a chemical having the formula (CH3)2 CH-SH leaked from a university research lab in north wales. many local residents complained they could smell natural gas and reported a gas leak. fisherman even claimed gas could be smelt at sea.

[jackthehat]

Is this your homework?

[AlBags]

Is this some sort of trick question?

I know that many of the 'smelly' gases .. like Autogas, for instance .. are much heavier than air .. and unless there are strong breezes to dissipate the gas, it can be smelt long distances away for ages. Of course, it will flow outwards in an effort to level out.

[ChuckFickens]

Looks like a pretty close chemical composition to the compounds added to make natural gas smell so it can be easily detected, they generally consist of carbon, hydrogen and sulphur too.

[bigbadmarty]

I understood natural gas was odourless and had an smelly additive to help detect leaks etc . Maybe that was the chemical escapee !

[Buenchico]

Natural gas (which is mainly methane) is virtually odourless so, in order that gas leaks can be readily detected, an odorant (isopropyl mercaptan, (CH)3CHSH) is added to it to ensure that it can be readily detected. Since most people only ever encounter the odour of isopropyl mercaptan when there's a gas leak, they assume that they're smelling natural gas even when (as in the example cited in your question) no natural gas is actually present.

Chris