Thursday, January 13, 2011

activity 1 1-13-11

What is the chemical makeup of cardboard and its sturcture?
Most papers are composed of wood pulp, some incluce other fibres or rags, but the primary element in most papers would be carbon.




Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_elements_of_paper#ixzz1AviqPlPf

What is the chemical and thier structure that make up styrofoam?

The chemical makeup of polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon with every other carbon connected to a phenyl group (the name given to the aromatic ring benzene, when bonded to complex carbon substituents). Polystyrene's chemical formula is (C8H8)n; it contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen. Because it is an aromatic hydrocarbon, it burns with an orange-yellow flame, giving off soot, as opposed to non-aromatic hydrocarbon polymers such as polyethylene, which burn with a light yellow flame (often with a blue tinge) and no soot. Complete oxidation of polystyrene produces only carbon dioxide and water vapor. Because of its chemical inertness, polystyrene is used to fabricate containers for chemicals, solvents, and foods.
This addition polymer of styrene results when vinyl benzene (styrene) monomers (which contain double bonds between carbon atoms) attach to form a polystyrene chain (with each carbon attached with a single bond to two other carbons and a phenyl group).
File:Polystyrene formation.PNG

What makes up waxes?
Mostly carbon and hydrogen

Why is water attracted to cardboard not styrofoam?
Water us much more like cardboard.  water is drawn to and soaked up by paper, plastics on the other hand are repelled by water.  paper and havea chemical attraction to one another.  Water is a very charged molicule, and styro is not so they do not bond with each other at all. 

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