Question

Caleb is an inventor who has designed a new kind of fishing net. He is looking for a strong, flexible material that can be used to hold a lot of weight and will not dissolve in water. He wants a synthetic material so he does not have to depend on harvesting a natural product. Which material would be best for Caleb’s invention?a. cellulose b. nylon c. polystyrene d. vulcanized rubber

Answer 1

Answer:

c. Polystyrene

Explanation:

Caleb wants a synthetic material that is not soluble in water, so it must be a nonpolar material because water is polar.

Cellulose is a nonpolar molecular, but is a natural product;

Nylon is a synthetic compound, but is polar, so it' soluble in water;

Vulcanized rubber is polar and the rubber is a natural compound.

The only compound that he can use is polystyrene, which is insoluble in water and is a synthetic material.