ACTIVITY 1 - Surface Chemical Make-up

What is the chemicals and their structures that make up cardboard?

Most cardboard is made up of layers of paper. Paper is a mixture but its main constituent is cellulose, which is a complex carbohydrate with chemical formula (C₆H₁₀O₅)_n.

What is the chemicals and their structures that make up Styrofoam?

Polystyrene is formed from many molecules of styrene being linked together through polymerisation.

What is the chemicals and their structures that make up waxes?


Explain why water is attracted to cardboard and not Styrofoam?
Because of the electronegativity of Oxygen and Hydrogen of water and the Oxygen and Hydrogen of Cellulose attracting.