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Which monomer gives a greater yield of polymer, 5-hydroxypentanoic acid or 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid? Explain your choice.

1 Answer

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Answer:

6-hydroxyhexanoic acid

Step-by-step explanation:

5-hydroxypentanoic acid will form a 7 member group, while 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid will form a 6 member group.

In polymerization, polymers with 6 member groups are more stable than the ones with 7 member groups. This means that 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid will have a higher chance of polymerization, and therefore give a greater yield of polymers, than 5-hydroxypentanoic acid.

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