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Ch.12 - Solids and Modern Materials
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.12 - Solids and Modern MaterialsProblem 82
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Chapter 12, Problem 82

The molecular formula of n-decane is CH3(CH2)8CH3. Decane is not considered a polymer, whereas polyethylene is. What is the distinction?

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Step 1: Define what a polymer is. A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units, typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. These repeating units are called monomers.
Step 2: Identify the structure of polyethylene. Polyethylene is a polymer made from the monomer ethylene (C2H4). During polymerization, the double bonds in ethylene open up and link together to form long chains of repeating -CH2- units.
Step 3: Analyze the structure of n-decane. The molecular formula of n-decane is CH3(CH2)8CH3, which indicates a single, linear chain of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms filling the remaining valences. It does not have repeating monomeric units.
Step 4: Compare the structures. Polyethylene consists of long chains of repeating units, whereas n-decane is a single, finite molecule without repeating units. This structural difference is key to why polyethylene is a polymer and n-decane is not.
Step 5: Conclude the distinction. The distinction lies in the presence of repeating monomeric units in polymers like polyethylene, which n-decane lacks, making it a simple alkane rather than a polymer.
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Related Practice
Open Question
The first LEDs were made from GaAs, which has a band gap of 1.43 eV. What wavelength of light would be emitted from an LED made from GaAs? What region of the electromagnetic spectrum does this light correspond to: ultraviolet, visible, or infrared?
Open Question
GaAs and GaP make solid solutions that have the same crystal structure as the parent materials, with As and P randomly distributed throughout the crystal. GaPxAs1 - x exists for any value of x. If we assume that the band gap varies linearly with composition between x = 0 and x = 1, estimate the band gap for GaP0.5As0.5. (GaAs and GaP band gaps are 1.43 eV and 2.26 eV, respectively.) What wavelength of light does this correspond to?
Textbook Question

(a) What is a monomer? (b) Which of these molecules can be used as a monomer: ethanol, ethene (also called ethylene), methane?

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Open Question
State whether each of these numbers is a reasonable value for a polymer’s molecular weight: 100 amu, 10,000 amu, 100,000 amu, 1,000,000 amu.
Open Question
Indicate whether the following statement is true or false: For an addition polymerization, there are no by-products of the reaction (assuming 100% yield).
Open Question
An ester is a compound formed by a condensation reaction between a carboxylic acid and an alcohol that eliminates a water molecule. Read the discussion of esters in Section 24.4 and then give an example of a reaction forming an ester. How might this kind of reaction be extended to form a polymer (a polyester)?