A gas chromatogram of the organic components of a sample of beer using
a column that separates compounds on the basis of their relative
boiling points provides a GLC trace with several peaks.  Two of the
smaller peaks, with retention times of 9.56 and 16.23 minutes, are
believed to be ethyl acetate and ethyl butyrate, respectively.

Which component of the sample, ethyl acetate or ethyl butyrate, elutes
faster?  What are the reported boiling points of these 2 substances?

Hello greatone100,

Ethyl acetate has the shorter retention time and therefore elutes
faster.

Boiling point for ethyl acetate is 77 degrees Centigrade
Boiling point for ethyl butyrate is 121 degrees Centigrade

Definitions and sources used:

Retention time – “The time it takes from when the sample is injected
onto the column until a particular component elutes is the retention
time for that component”
From notes to a chemistry lecture at  California State University
http://www.csun.edu/~hcchm003/321/21110801.pdf

The compound with the lower boiling point will have the shorter
retention time
ref: “Compound A has the lower boiling point since it comes off the
column first.” Answers to Study Problems in Gas Chromatography, CU
Boulder Organic Chemistry Undergraduate Course
http://orgchem.colorado.edu/hndbksupport/GC/GCsqans.html

Boiling point data: MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) at Oxford
University, UK http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ET/ethyl_acetate.html
http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ET/ethyl_butyrate.html

Search strategy: 1. "gas chromatography" "boiling point" "retention
time"  2. "retention time"  chromatography  3. "boiling point" “ethyl
acetate”  4. 3. "boiling point" “ethyl butyrate”