How many molecules of water are released during the polymerization of a 30-monomer-long cellulose molecule?
29
20
10
40
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is 29.
Explanation:
Polymerization is the process in which monomers link together to form a polymer. In the case of cellulose, a polysaccharide made of glucose units, polymerization occurs via condensation reactions. During these reactions, water molecules are released as the hydroxyl group (-OH) of one monomer reacts with the hydrogen atom (-H) of another monomer, forming a glycosidic bond.
In the case of a 30-monomer-long cellulose molecule, 29 glycosidic bonds will form between adjacent monomers. Each time a bond forms, one water molecule is released. This is because one water molecule is produced by the combination of the hydroxyl group of one monomer and the hydrogen atom of another.
To determine how many water molecules are released during the polymerization of a 30-monomer-long cellulose molecule, we subtract 1 from the number of monomers. The reason we subtract 1 is that water molecules are released each time two monomers are joined together. Since there are 29 bonds between the 30 monomers, there will be 29 water molecules released.
Thus, for a 30-monomer-long cellulose molecule, 29 water molecules are released during the polymerization process.