Question

Which of the following explanations correctly describes the materials?

A) Plastic polymers used in bottles are short molecules that create a non-flexible
structure.
6 Plastic polymers used in bottles are long molecules that create a very flexible
structure.
Calcium carbonate is a short molecule that creates a very flexible structure.
Calcium carbonate is a long molecule that creates a non-flexible structure.

Answer 1

Polyethylene bottles are made of HDPE with a non-flexible structure, while beach balls are made of LDPE with a flexible structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

Polyethylene is a type of polymer made up of repeating units called monomers. The properties of polyethylene can vary depending on the length of the polymer chains and how efficiently they pack together. Hard, strong polyethylene objects like bottles are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with fewer branches, resulting in a non-flexible structure. In contrast, beach balls need to be flexible, so they are made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with many branches, creating a more flexible structure.