(a) In polyvinyl chloride shown in Table 12.6, which bonds have the lowest average bond enthalpy?

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Identify the bonds present in polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is composed of repeating units of -CH2-CHCl-.

List the types of bonds in PVC: C-H, C-C, and C-Cl.

Refer to the table to find the bond energies for these bonds: C-H (414 kJ/mol), C-C (347 kJ/mol), and C-Cl (339 kJ/mol).

Compare the bond energies to determine which bond has the lowest average bond enthalpy.

Conclude that the bond with the lowest average bond enthalpy in PVC is the C-Cl bond with an energy of 339 kJ/mol.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Bond Enthalpy

Bond enthalpy, or bond energy, is the amount of energy required to break one mole of a specific type of bond in a gaseous substance. It is a measure of the strength of a bond; higher bond enthalpy indicates a stronger bond. In the context of polyvinyl chloride, understanding bond enthalpy helps identify which bonds are weaker and thus have lower average bond energies.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a synthetic polymer made from the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomers. It is widely used in construction and various applications due to its durability and resistance to environmental degradation. The structure of PVC includes carbon-carbon and carbon-chlorine bonds, which are relevant when analyzing the bond energies in the material.

Comparative Bond Energies

Comparative bond energies allow for the evaluation of different types of bonds within a molecule or between different molecules. By comparing the average bond energies listed in the table, one can determine which bonds in polyvinyl chloride have the lowest bond enthalpy, indicating they are the weakest and most likely to break under certain conditions.

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Textbook Question

Employing the bond enthalpy values listed in Table 8.4, estimate the molar enthalpy change occurring upon (a) polymerization of ethylene. (b) formation of nylon 6,6. (c) formation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Textbook Question

Although polyethylene can twist and turn in random ways, the most stable form is a linear one with the carbon backbone oriented as shown in the following figure:

The solid wedges in the figure indicate bonds from carbon that come out of the plane of the page; the dashed wedges indicate bonds that lie behind the plane of the page. (a) What is the hybridization of orbitals at each carbon atom? What angles do you expect between the bonds?

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Textbook Question

(b) When subjected to high pressure and heated, polyvinyl chloride converts to diamond. During this transformation which bonds are most likely to break first?

Textbook Question

(c) Employing the values of average bond enthalpy in Table 8.3, estimate the overall enthalpy change for converting PVC to diamond.

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Silicon has the diamond structure with a unit cell edge length of 5.43 Å and eight atoms per unit cell. (a) How many silicon atoms are there in 1 cm³ of material?