[dumakey1212]

I'm doing column chromatography and need to predict which compound is more polar and thus which will travel more quickly and elute faster from the column. I know benzyl alcohol has the OH group, while methyl benzoate has the ester group with two Oxygen atoms present. Thanks for any help on this

[discodermolide]

On normal silica communes more polar compounds will travel more slowly. Because the are absorbed to the silica-gel.
So in your case which compound will be mere strongly adsorbed?

Consider the differences between the oxygen atoms.

[Babcock_Hall]

It might help to think in terms of the common intermolecular forces.

[Archer]

On normal silica communes more polar compounds will travel more slowly. Because the are absorbed to the silica-gel.

Adsorbed 

I appreciate this is a typo and not an error 

[discodermolide]

Sorry I was on the damm iPad with the spell checker, which is a pain in the backside.