Gas chromatography can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of compounds. Qualitative analysis involves comparing retention times to identify unknown samples, while quantitative analysis uses peak area measurements that are proportional to component quantities. Gas chromatography allows for separation of compounds like benzene and cyclohexane that have very similar boiling points and would be impossible to separate via distillation. It has various applications like separation of hydrocarbons in petroleum, analysis of automobile exhaust gases, detection of volatile substances, and identification of compounds in biological samples.