Question

The monomer involved in the formation of polystyrene is

• A. \(CH_2=CH-Cl\)
• B. \(CH_2=CH-CN\)
• C. \(CH_2=CH-C_6H_5\)
• D. \(CH_2=CH-CH_3\)

Hint:

Polystyrene is formed from styrene, whose structure is \(CH_2=CH-C_6H_5\).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Polystyrene is a synthetic polymer. The name "polystyrene" literally means a polymer made from many "styrene" units. We need to identify the chemical structure of the styrene monomer from the given options.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The polymer is polystyrene. This means the monomer must be styrene. Styrene is a vinyl benzene, which means it is an ethene molecule (CH$_2$=CH$_2$) where one hydrogen atom is replaced by a phenyl group (–C$_6$H$_5$). The structure of styrene is therefore CH$_2$=CH–C$_6$H$_5$. Let's identify the other options: - (A) CH$_2$=CH–Cl: This is vinyl chloride, the monomer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). - (B) CH$_2$=CH–CN: This is acrylonitrile, the monomer for polyacrylonitrile (PAN, also known as Orlon or Acrilan). - (C) CH$_2$=CH–C$_6$H$_5$: This is styrene (or vinyl benzene), the monomer for polystyrene. - (D) CH$_2$=CH–CH$_3$: This is propene (or propylene), the monomer for polypropylene. Step 3: Final Answer:
The monomer for polystyrene is styrene, which has the chemical formula CH$_2$=CH–C$_6$H$_5$. Therefore, option (C) is correct.