Background Evaluation Survey

Choose the correct answer for each question.

1 The entire world is made up of chemicals. True False 2 There is a fundamental difference between inorganic and organic materials. True False 3 Inorganic materials do not contain carbon. True False 4 Living creatures only consist of organic molecules. True False 5 Chemical bonds always contain electrons. True False 6 Bonds always involve a pair of electrons (2 and only 2, just like a good marriage). True False 7 Van der Waals (dispersion) forces involve non-bonding interactions between electrons and nuclei near each other but not "touching." True False 8 Hydrogen bonding occurs lots, and is very important in determining properties of many materials. True False 9 Pick the combination of elements that make up most of the organic and natural chemicals in use today. C, H, N, P, Ag C, H, O, N H, O, N, P C, P, N, O Ca, Na, Ta, Ba, Ga 10 Carbon forms bonds with several other atoms to make molecules. How many? Always 3, since carbon wants to be sp2. Usuually 5 to fill it's outer shell octet. Sometimes 3, sometimes four but never two. Always four bonds, but could be with two, three or four other atoms. One is the lonliest number you'll ever do.... 11 Carbon can form multiple bonds to other atoms (double and triple bonds). True False 12 Triple bonded carbons appear in acetylenes and nitriles. True False 13 Ethylene has a double bond between two carbons. True False 14 Propylene is a three-carbon olefin with every carbon connected to two other carbons. True False 15 Benzene has six (count them: 6) carbon atoms and?? Twelve hydrogens spread out on the 6 carbons. Fourteen hydrogens on the 6 carbons. Four hydrogens and two alcohol groups. Six hydrogens with the carbons all linked to each other in a ring. Eight with the carbons in a linear chain and double bonds alternating between carbons. 16 Waxes are made up of ... Whatever bees barf up in the hive. Linear hydrocarbons (for the most part) with somewhere around 12-20 carbon atoms. Oil that has been fractionated. Ethylene oxide oligomers. Propylene oxide oligomers. 17 Polypropylene is made from propylene. True False 18 Polyethylene is made from a vinyl-substituted benzene. True False 19 Polystyrene is made from ethenylbenzene. True False 20 Octene has eight carbons and a terminal olefin. True False 21 Oxygen can readily oxidize hydrocarbons and olefins. False True 22 Combustion of anything that burns requires: Heat and light Heat, light and nitrogen gas Heat and oxygen Just oxygen, once it gets going. Just oxygen 23 Earth's atmosphere is made up of mostly oxygen and some nitrogen (80:20). False True 24 All life on earth requires oxygen. False True 25 The earth has a core of solid iron. False True 26 The "ozone layer" is important to life on earth. False True 27 Science is the study of facts and figures. False True 28 Chemistry deals with how atoms are joined to make Polymers Living creatures Molecules of all kinds Dirt and water but not fire. All solids and liquids. 29 Chemicals are dangerous and should be banned. True False 30 All chemicals are toxic. True False 31 Any chemical you can smell is dangerous. True False 32 All chemical reactions reguire a catalyst and/or heat and/or light. False True 33 All reactions go "downhill" in terms of thermodynamic energy. True False 34 Organic chemistry and physical chemistry deal with two totally separate aspects of chemistry. False True 35 As a scientist, my only concern is with the science, not how it is used. True False 36 Carbon and oxygen can form only single bonds like in alcohols (ethanol?). True False 37 An sp2 hybridized carbon is square planar. True False 38 A trigonal planar carbon is found in: All of the following. Ethylene and propylene Acetic acid Acetone Amide linkages in nylons 39 A doubly-bonded carbon (like in ethylene) is reactive to: Polymerization Addition of HCl Oxidation by oxygen Addition of water All of the above 40 Propylene can react with chlorine by: Simple addition Free radical substitution on the allyl position Exploding Not at all without a catalyst or initiator A and B above 41 Ethylene polymerization occurs with: Oxygen, but only in liquid ethylene. Free radical initiators. Answers B, D and E. Ziegler-Natta catalysts Metallocene catalysts 42 The process of separating the fractions (different kinds of hydrocarbons) of crude oil is called: Distillation Fractionation Reforming Fractional crystallization Gas chromatography 43 Cracking of crude oil fractions is used to: Separate the "men from the boys." Separate the lighter boiling fractions of oil from the heavier. Change the composition of the fractions. Make olefins. Converts alkanes to aromatics. 44 Fisher and Tropsch were two German biochemists. False True 45 Photosynthesis can be used to make polymers. True False 46 All plastics are made from polymers. False True 47 Scientists must know how to ask good questions. True False 48 All catalysts contain metal atoms of some kind. True False 49 Initiators and catalysts do the same thing- start reactions. True False 50 An initiator is always used up, and a catalyst can always be recovered after the reaction is done. False True 51 Chemists study molecules and physicists study quarks and bozons. True False 52 Biology deals only with how living creatures behave. False True 53 Polution only involves toxic chemicals. True False 54 Life on earth would cease if 2% of life in the oceans was killed off. True False 55 Dinosaur mass extinctions (remember that?) resulted from polution caused by cavemen. True False 56 Diamonds are made of carbon in the same hybidization (bonding) state as the carbons in hexane. True False 57 Graphite is made only of carbon that is just like the carbon in hexane. False True 58 Hexane made by oil distillation is different from that made by Fischer-Tropsh chemistry. True False 59 I eat polymers everyday. True False 60 Gases, liquids and solids are chemically different. False True 61 Cigarettes have not been SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to cause cancer. True False 62 Burning polymers (like polyurethanes and PVC in houses) generates poisonous gases. True False 63 Diamond is the hardest material known to man, so hard that it can't "burn" like most other elements. True False 64 "Hardness" is the same as "stiffness." False True 65 Modulus refers to how rigid or stiff a material is (could be a polymer or a mineral). True False 66 Elasticity refers to how far you can elongate something. False True 67 "Toughness" refers to A quantitative relationship between stress and strain The "area under the curve" of a stress-strain plot. The ability of material to "take a licking and keep on ticking" (whatever that means). Impact resistance times modulus Strength and modulus combined 68 Impact resistance is a true measure of material strength. True False 69 Polymers are long chains of atoms or molecules that are MUCH bigger than ordinary chemicals. True False 70 Polymers are always linear collections of monomers joined through chemical bonds. False True 71 Polymers are only made from organic monomers (no inorganics included). False True 72 Polymer science is the most important and useful scientific discipline. True, if you count it as a true "discipline." False, it's not a true discipline. 73 "and on the seventh day, man created polymers..." True False 74 Polymers, like all chemicals, are all man-made. True False 75 Olefins are always used to make polyolefins like polyethylene. False True 76 All polymers are made from small molecules called monomers. True in general False 77 "If God wanted us to have polymers, He would have made them naturally!" False True 78 Manyl alpha-olefins can be polymerized by free radical means. True False 79 Olefins contain a "true" double bond (pi bond) with twice the energy of a single (sigma) bond. False True 80 The carbons of a pi bond in an olefin are sp2 hybridized but become sp3 on addition polymerization. True False 81 Free radicals on carbon have increasing stability in the order: tertiary, secondary, primary (most stable). True, just opposite to carbanion stability. False 82 Resonance is when electrons in pi-orbitals interact to give a lower energy state (more stable). True False 83 Benzene is resonance stabilized but butadiene is not. False True 84 Radical stabilization by resonance is crucial to radical additions, substitutions and polymerizations. False True 85 Alpha-olefins, like styrene, polymerize by radical, anionic AND cationic means. True False 86 The first polymer made by a human was actually based on a natural polymer: Marvaloid, based on human hair Celluloid, based on cellulose Gelatin, hydolyzed animal protein Nylon 2, from silk Bakelite, re-polymerized lignin from trees 87 Bakelite (the first completely synthetic polymer) is made from phenol and formaldehyde. True False, it's made from urea and formaldehyde. 88 The free energy of a reaction involves: Heat and light, plus some freedom Enthalpy and ergonomics Entropy and philanthropy Pre-exponential and energy of activation Enthalpy and entropy 89 Density is defined as: Grams per square centimeter Stones per furlong Grams per milliliter Pounds per quart Stones per cubit 90 Typical metals have densities of 7-10 g/ml, but polymers have densities of: 0.9-1.5 g/ml 0.5-0.9 g/ml 1.5-2.5 g/ml 3-4.5 g/ml 2.4-6.5 g/ml