Benzene, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor and burning taste, formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is a closed ring of six carbon atoms connected by bonds that resonate between single and double bonds; each carbon atom is also bound to a single hydrogen atom. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Benzene itself is an excellent solvent for certain elements, such as sulfur, phosphorus, and iodine; for gums, fats, waxes, and resins; and for most simple organic chemicals. It is one of the most commonly used solvents in the organic chemical laboratory. Benzene melts at 5.5°C, boils at 80.1°C. If inhaled in large quantities, benzene is poisonous. In 1978 the U.S. Department of Labor restricted worker exposure to benzene because of evidence that it could cause cancer. The vapors are explosive, and the liquid violently flammable. Many compounds, such as nitrobenzene, are obtained from benzene. Benzene is also used in the manufacture of drugs and in the production of important derivatives, such as aniline and phenol. Benzene and its derivatives are included in the important chemical group known as aromatic compounds.