Tricky HSC 1 marker (1 Viewer)

[KX]

Does anyone know how to answer question 17C of the 2003 HSC chemistry paper?

If not, does anyone have sample answers to this question (such as from the success one book)

 

[strawberrye]

posting the actual question will save people the trouble to look for it specifically

 

[KX]

posting the actual question will save people the trouble to look for it specifically

The question involves explaining the shape of a given graph, which I have no idea how to upload here.

 

[KX]

The question itself was : "Why is a range of molecular weights observed?"

 

[KX]

I'll put the link to the paper here for convenience: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/hsc2003exams/pdf_doc/chemistry_03.pdf

 

[jazz519]

It is because the last step of addition polymerisation which is termination is a random process because the free radical carbon which is connected to the chain must collide with another free radical carbon in another chain to form a non activated species, however, the length of these chains varies and thus as there will be a different amount of carbon atoms in each polymer chain, thus there is a distribution in the molecular weight.