Why are “good smells” like perfume or flowers more likely to fade quickly than “bad smells” like smoke and rotting food?

Question

Why are “good smells” like perfume or flowers more likely to fade quickly than “bad smells” like smoke and rotting food?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Live flowers smell good as long as they live. Rotting food smells bad as long as it is rotting.

Perfume fades because it’s literally just liquid that eventually evaporates. If someone gave you a perfume that intentionally is a “bad smell” it would fade just as quick.

The point being it is not a “Good smell vs bad smell” question. It is a “what is the source of the smell, and how long does the source last” question.