You are asked to identify four samples handed to you bysome polymer science professor:Sample A is an opaque rectangular shaped film that hassome flexibility and appears to be tough. (It did not breakwhen one of the other students in your class suddenlywent berserk and pounded it with a hammer)Sample B is transparent, fairly rigid and brittle.Sample C is not transparent because it has been mixedwith some gunk (a filler). However it stretches manytimes its original length, but does not return to itsoriginal length if it is held extended for anything morethan a few seconds.Sample D appears identical to sample C but does notreturn to its original length after stretching.Because you have no idea to start answering thisquestion, you bother your professor with incessant e-mails and you whine a lot during class. Finally, he or shegives you some clues, just to get rid of you.
You discover that one of the samples is polyisoprene, one is atacticpolystyrene, one is high-density polyethylene and the last
is also one of these three polymers, but its microstructurehas been altered by some chemical treatment. Identifywhich sample is which polymer, giving reasons for eachchoice(zero points for just guessing and not giving areason).Explain how the microstructure of sample C wasaltered to give sample D.