Question

Is cotton a polymer?

Answer 1

We need to know that the polymer is a material containing the macromolecules or very large molecules. And the polymers are made up of a number of repeating subunits. The synthetic as well as the natural polymer have an essential role in everyday life. Because of the properties of the broad spectrum of polymers. The building blocks used to make the polymers are known as monomers. More than thousand units of monomers are connected to prepare a polymer. Sometimes, all the monomers present in the polymers are the same.

Complete answer:
As we know that cotton is a polymer. The cellulose is the polymer of cotton. The cellulose is a macromolecule and it is prepared by the long chain of molecules of the glucose which is connected to the first carbon and the fourth oxygen bridges by the elimination of water. Hence, the cotton contains long chain molecules of the glucose and these naturally exist in the plants. The pure cellulose is a naturally existing polymer and it contains a large number of glucose units. Therefore, cellulose is the chemical name of the cotton and cotton is a linear and purest form of cellulose polymer which is the most abundant naturally occurring polymer.

Note:
We need to remember that cotton is a polymer which is made up of cellulose. The cellulose is an organic compound which contains the linear chain of so many beta linked D – glucose units. The polymer is widely used in several industries which are used to make water bottles, bags, textile fibers, auto parts, toys, etc all made up of polymers. The human made polymers are mainly in four types, which are thermosets, thermoplastics, elastomers, and synthetic fibers.