MadSci Network: Chemistry |
The answer to your imaginative question is no! Severing a material is a physical reaction: only the bonds between the molecules are broken, not the ones within the polymeric molecule. Take polyethylene as an example: each polymer contains about 10000 -CH2CH2-units. That means that there are a total of 2*10000= 20 000 atoms of carbon and 40000 atoms of hydrogen per polymeric molecule. Although that's a monstrous molecule with a molar mass of 10000* (24 + 4) = 28000g/mole, a single molecule is only a miniscule portion of a mole: 1/6.02 X 10^23 and its mass is only that fraction of 28000 g = 4.65 X 10^-20. So it certainly doesn't run across the length of the paper. Another thing to keep in mind is that natural materials like starch and diamonds are also polymers. Cutting them in no way alters their taste, hardness or appearance, again suggesting that no chemical reaction has taken place. Also, if cutting plastic produced free radicals since these are reactive, it would make the material biodegrade pretty quickly. Plastic, however, as you know, is not biodegradable. Enrico Uva
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