Below is experimental data on polystyrene, which fits to a curve of Rg = 0.01234 * M^0.5937, where M is molecular weight (assume Dispersity=1).

A. (5 pts) Determine the characteristic ratio C and lp (persistence length) of this polymer. You may assume this is a random coil.

B. (5 points) If you were to add a short but bulky side chain to your styrene monomer [example, adding an ethyl group on top of the benzene], would the slope most likely decrease, increase, or stay the same? Why?

C. (3 points) Was this measurement done on a molten polymer sample (pure polymer in liquid phase), or a sample in a solvent? Please explain your answer by using the data.

D. Bonus problem (bonus 3 points): pretend that, by changing the tacticity and other parameters, our new persistence length is 20nm. Please draw how the left-most third of the plot would change (ie, the portion of the plot from 10^5 to 10^6), and justify using theory we learned in class.

(13points) Below is experimental data on polystyrene, which fits to a curve of Rg= 0.01234M0.5937, where M is molecular weight (assume Dispersity=1). M/(g/mol) A. (5 pts) Determine the characteristic ratio C and Ip (persistence length) of this polymer. You may assume this is a random coil. B. (5 points) If you were to add a short but bulky side chain to your styrene monomer [example, adding an ethyl group on top of the benzene], would the slope most likely decrease, increase, or stay the same? Why? C. (3 points) Was this measurement done on a molten polymer sample (pure polymer in liquid phase), or a sample in a solvent? Please explain your answer by using the data. D. Bonus problem (bonus 3 points): pretend that, by changing the tacticity and other parameters, our new persistence length is 20nm. Please draw how the left-most third of the plot would change (ie, the portion of the plot from 105 to 106 ), and justify using theory we learned in class