Question:

Which of the following volatile oils are heavier than water:

Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
  • Cumin
  • Cinnamon
  • Fennel
  • Lemongrass
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The Correct Option is B

Approach Solution - 1

The correct option is (B): Cinnamon.
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Approach Solution -2

Most volatile (essential) oils float on top of water because their specific gravity is below 1, but a small number are dense enough to sink. The question is asking which oil on this list belongs to that denser, sinking group.

  1. Cumin: Cumin oil, rich in cuminaldehyde, has a specific gravity below 1 and floats on the surface of water like most essential oils, so it does not belong to the heavier-than-water group.
  2. Cinnamon: Cinnamon bark oil is high in cinnamaldehyde, a dense aromatic aldehyde, which pushes the oil's specific gravity above 1. Because of this, cinnamon oil is one of the few essential oils that sinks below water instead of floating on it.
  3. Fennel: Fennel oil, dominated by anethole, has a specific gravity under 1 and floats on water in the same way most essential oils do.
  4. Lemongrass: Lemongrass oil, rich in citral, also has a specific gravity below 1 and floats on water rather than sinking.

Because cinnamon oil's high cinnamaldehyde content raises its density above that of water, it is the oil among these four that sinks rather than floats.

The correct answer is Cinnamon.

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