URGENT CHEM PP1 QUES!

[Wahab09]

If ethene polymerises to polyethene.. what remains the same?

thanks and can u explain y please?

[....]

If ethene polymerises to polyethene.. what remains the same?

thanks and can u explain y please?

empirical formula.
empirical formula of ethene is C₂H₄
Since polyethene is just ethene molecules repeating, the empirical formula is the same.

[Ghost Of Highbury]

the empirical formula is the same

but the structural formula is different

[Wahab09]

but the molecular formula is still C2H4 it didnt change also?

[....]

but the molecular formula is still C2H4 it didnt change also?

It is just like, if you join four molecules of ethene to form polyethene, the molecular formula is like C₈H₁₆, but empirical formula isn't C₈H₁₆

[nid404]

but the molecular formula is still C2H4 it didnt change also?

molecular formula is the total number of different atoms in a molecule. in a polymer we don't know how many ethene molecules have joined...r u getting that. The molecular formula changes....very much

[astarmathsandphysics]

The empirical forumular is reduced to the flowest terms like


-CH₂- or CH₂

[Wahab09]

got it.. thanks guys